AND  HIS 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

DONALD  SIDNEY-FRYER 
COLLECTION 


HIGHER    AND    HIGHER    WENT  THE    VULTURE. — Page   l8t, 
Swift  *nd  His  Air 


TOM   SWIFT  AND   HIS 
AIR  GLIDER 

OR 

Seeking  the  Platinum  Treasure 


BY 
VICTOR  APPLETON 

AUTHOR  OF  "TOM    SWIFT  AND   HIS   MOTOR-CYC    E,"   "TOM   SWIFT  AND   HIS 

WIRELESS   MESSAGE,"   "TOM    SWIFT    AMONG   THE   DIAMOND 

MAKERS,"   "TOM   SWIFT  AND   HIS    SKY   RACER," 

"TOM    SWIFT  IN   THE   CITY   OF  GOLD,"   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS 

Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


BOOKS  BY  VICTOR  APPLETON 
THE  TOM  SWIFT  SERIES 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR-CYCLE 

Or  Fun  and  Adventures  on  the  Road 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR-BOA  C 

Or  The  Rivals  of  Lake  Carlopa 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRSHIP 

Or  the  Stirring  Cruise  of  the  Red  Cloud 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SUBMARINE  BOAT 

Or  Under  the  Ocean  for  Sunken  Treasure 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RUNABOUT 

Or  the  Speediest  Car  on  the  Road 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIRELESS  MESSAGE 

Or  the  Castaways  of  Earthquake  Island 
TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  DIAMOND  MAKERS 

Or  the  Secret  of  Phantom  Mountain 
TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CAVES  OF  ICE 

Or  the  Wreck  of  the  Airship 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  RACER 

Or  The  Quickest  Flight  on  Record 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RIFLE 

Or  Daring  Adventures  in  Elephant  Land 
TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLD 

Or  Marvelous  Adventures  Underground 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Or  Seeking  the  Platinum  Treasure 
TOM  SWIFT  IN  GIANT  LAND 

Or  A  Daring  Escape  from  Captivity 

(Other  Volumes  in  Preparation) 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 

COPYRIGHT,  1912  BY 
GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 


Tom  Swift  and  His  Air  Glidtr 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    A   BREAKDOWN 1 

II    A   DARING    PROJECT 15 

III  THE  HAND  OF  THE  CZAR 26 

IV  THE  SEARCH 35 

V    A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA 41 

VI    RESCUING  MR.  PETROFSKY 52 

VII    THE  AIR  GLIDER 59 

VIII    IN  A  GREAT  GALE 69 

IX    THE   SPIES 74 

X    OFF  IN  THE  AIRSHIP 81 

XI    A   STORM  AT  SEA 68 

XII    AN   ACCIDENT 94 

XIII  SEEKING  A  QUARREL 100 

XIV  HURRIED    FLIGHT 109 

XV    PURSUED 114 

XVI    THE    NIHILISTS 124 

XVII    ON  TO  SIBERIA 130 

XVIII    IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON 139 

XIX    LOST  IN  A  SALT  MINE 148 

XX    THE  ESCAPE 157 

ill 


iv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGH 

XXI    THE   RESCUE 165 

XXII    IN   THE  HURRICANE 176 

XXIII  THE  LOST  MINE ^3 

XXIV  THE  LEAKING  TANKS 194 

XXV  HOMEWARD  BOUND— CONCLUSION..  201 


TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR 
GLIDER 


CHAPTER  I 

A  BREAKDOWN 

"WELL,  Ned,  are  you  ready?" 

"Oh,  I  suppose  so,  Tom.  As  ready  as  I  ever 
shall  be." 

"Why,  Ned  Newton,  you're  not  getting  afraid; 
are  you?  And  after  you've  been  on  so  many 
trips  with  me?" 

"No,  it  isn't  exactly  that,  Tom.  I'd  go  in  a 
minute  if  you  didn't  have  this  new  fangled  thing 
on  your  airship.  But  how  do  you  know  how  it's 
going  to  work  —  or  whether  it  will  work  at  all? 
We  may  come  a  cropper." 

"Bless  my  insurance  policy!"  exclaimed  a  man 
who  was  standing  near  the  two  lads  who  were 
conversing.  "You'd  better  keep  near  the  ground, 


Oh,  that's  all  right,  Mr.  Damon,"  answered 

i 


'  2  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Tom  Swift.  "There  isn't  any  more  danger  than 
there  ever  was,  but  I  guess  Ned  is  nervous  since 
our  trip  to  the  underground  city  of  gold." 

"I  am  not!"  indignantly  exclaimed  the  other 
lad,  with  a  look  at  the  young  inventor.  "But  you 
know  yourself,  Tom,  that  putting  this  new  pro- 
peller on  your  airship,  changing  the  wing  tips, 
and  re-gearing  the  motor  has  made  an  altogether 
different  sort  of  a  craft  of  it.  You,  yourself, 
said  it  wasn't  as  reliable  as  before,  even  though 
it  does  go  faster." 

"Now  look  here,  Ned !"  burst  out  Tom.  "That 
was  last  week  that  I  said  it  wasn't  reliable.  It  is 
now,  for  I've  tried  it  out  several  times,  and  yet, 
when  I  ask  you  to  take  a  trip  with  me,  to  act  as 
ballast " 

"Is  that  all  you  want  me  for,  Tom,  to  act  as 
ballast  ?  Then  you'd  better  take  a  bag  of  sand—- 
or Mr.  Damon  here!" 

"Me?  I  guess  not!  Bless  my  diamond  ring! 
My  wife  hasn't  forgiven  me  for  going  off  on  that 
last  trip  with  you,  Tom,  and  I'm  not  going  to  take 
any  more  right  away.  But  I  don't  blame 
Ned " 

"Say,  look  here!"  cried  Tom,  a  little  out  of 
patience,  "you  know  me  better  than  that,  Ned. 
Of  course  your  more  than  ballast — I  want  you  to 
help  me  manage  the  craft  since  I  made  the  changes 


A  BREAKDOWN  3 

on  her.  Now  if  you  don't  want  to  come,  why 
say  so,  and  I'll  get  Eradicate.  I  don't  believe 
he'll  be  afraid,  even  if  he " 

"Hold  on  dar  now,  Massa  Tom!"  exclaimed  an 
aged  colored  man,  who  was  an  all  around  helper 
at  the  Swift  homestead,  "was  yo'  referencin'  t'  me 
whenyo'  spoke?" 

"Yes,  Rad,  I  was  saying  that  if  Ned  wouldn't 
go  up  in  the  airship  with  me  you  would." 

"Well,  now,  Masa  Tom,  I  shorely  would  laik 
t'  'blige  yo',  I  shore  would.  But  de  fack  ob  de 
mattah  am  dat  I  has  a  mos'  particular  job  ob 
white  washin'  t'  do  dish  mornin',  an'  I  'spects  I'd 
better  be  gittin'  at  it.  It's  a  mos'  particular  job, 
an',  only  fo'  dat,  I'd  be  mos'  pleased  t'  go  up  in 
de  airship.  But  as  it  am,  I  mus'  ax  yo'  t'  'scuse 
me,  I  really  mus',"  and  the  colored  man  shuffled 
off  at  a  faster  gait  than  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
using. 

"Well,  of  all  things!"  gasped  Tom.  "I  believe 
you're  all  afraid  of  the  old  airship,  just  because  I 
made  some  changes  in  her.  I'll  go  up  alone,  that'f 
what  I  will." 

"No,  I'll  go  with  you,"  interposed  Ned  Newton 
who  was  Tom's  most  particular  chum.  "I  only 
wanted  to  be  sure  it  was  all  right,  that  was  all." 

"Well,  if  you've  fully  made  up  your  mind,"  went 
on  the  young  inventor,  a  little  mollified,  "lend  me 


*  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

a  hand  to  get  her  in  shape  for  a  run.  I  expect 
to  make  faster  time  than  I  ever  did  before,  and 
I'm  going  to  head  out  Waterford  way.  You'd 
better  come  along,  Mr.  Damon,  and  I'll  drop  you 
off  at  your  house." 

"Bless  my  feather  bed !"  gasped  the  man.  "Drop 
me  off !  I  like  that,  Tom  Swift !" 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  it  exactly  that  way/' 
laughed  Tom.  "But  will  you  come?" 

"No,  thanks,  I'm  going  home  by  trolley,"  and 
then  as  the  odd  man  went  in  the  house  to  speak 
to  Tom's  father,  the  two  lads  busied  themselves 
about  the  airship. 

This  was  a  large  aeroplane,  one  of  the  largest 
Tom  Swift  had  ever  constructed,  and  he  was  a 
lad  who  had  invented  many  kinds  of  machinery 
besides  crafts  for  navigating  the  upper  regions. 
It  was  not  as  large  as  his  combined  aeroplane  and 
dirigible  balloon  of  which  I  have  told  you  in  other 
books,  but  it  was  of  sufficient  size  to  carry  three 
persons  besides  other  weight. 

Tom  had  built  it  some  years  before,  and  it  had 
seemed  good  enough  then.  Later  he  constructed 
some  of  different  models,  besides  the  big  com- 
bination affair,  and  he  had  gone  on  several  trips 
in  that. 

He  and  his  chum  Ned,  together  with  Eradicate 
Sampson,  the  colored  man,  and  Mr.  Damon,  had 


A  BREAKDOWN  5 

been  to  a  wonderful  underground  city  of  gold  in 
Mexico,  and  it  was  soon  after  their  return  from 
this  perilous  trip  that  Tom  had  begun  the  work 
of  changing  his  old  aeroplane  into  a  speedier 
craft. 

This  had  occupied  him  most  of  the  Winter,  and 
now  that  Spring  had  come  he  had  a  chance  to  try 
what  a  re-built  motor,  changed  propellers,  and 
different  wing  tips  would  do  for  the  machine. 

The  time  had  come  for  the  test  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  Tom  had  some  difficulty  in  persuading  any- 
one to  go  along  with  him.  But  Ned  finally  got 
over  his  feeling  of  nervousness. 

"Understand,  Tom,"  spoke  Ned,  "it  isn't  be- 
cause I  don't  think  you  know  how  to  work  an 
aeroplane  that  I  hesitated.  I've  been  up  in  the 
air  with  you  enough  times  to  know  that  you're 
there  with  the  goods,  but  I  don't  believe  even  you 
know  what  this  machine  is  going  to  do."  _ 

"I  can  pretty  nearly  tell.  I'm  sure  my  theory 
is  right." 

"I  don't  doubt  that.  But  will  it  work  out  in 
practice?" 

"She  may  not  make  all  the  speed  I  hope  she 
will,  and  I  may  not  be  able  to  push  her  high  into 
the  air  quicker  than  I  used  to  before  I  made  the 
changes,"  admitted  Tom,  "but  I'm  sure  of  one 
thing.  She'll  fly,  and  she  won't  come  down  until 


6  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

I'm  ready  to  let  her.    So  you  needn't  worry  about 
getting  hurt." 

"All  right — if  you  say  so.  Now  what  do  you 
want  me  to  do,  Tom?" 

"Go  over  the  wire  guys  and  stays  for  the  first 
thing.    There's  going  to  be  lots  of  vibration,  with 
the  re-built  motor,  and  I  want  everything  tight." 
^N£Aye,  aye,  sir!"  answered  Ned  with  a  laugh, 
had-  finished  the  wires. 

Then  he  set  at  his  task,  tightening  the  small 
nuts,  and  screwing  up  the  turn-buckles,  while 
Tom  busied  himself  over  the  motor.  There  was 
some  small  trouble  with  the  carburetor  that  needed 
eliminating  before  it  would  feed  properly. 

"How  about  the  tires?"  asked  Ned,  when  he 
had  finished  the  wires. 

"You  might  pump  them  up.  There,  the  motor 
is  all  right.  I'm  going  to  try  it  now,  while  you 
attend  to  the  tires." 

Ned  had  pumped  up  one  of  the  rubber  circlets 
of  the  small  bicycle  wheels  on  which  the  aeroplane 
rested,  and  was  beginning  on  the  second,  when  a 
noise  like  a  battery  of  machine  guns  going  off 
next  to  his  ear  startled  him  so  that  he  jumped,, 
tripped  over  a  stone  and  went  down,  the  air  pump 
thumping  him  in  the  back. 

"What  in  the  world  happened,  Tom?"  he  yelted, 


A  BREAKDOWN  7 

for  he  had  to  use  all  his  lung  power  to  be  heard 
above  that  racket.  "Did  it  explode?" 

"Explode  nothing!"  shouted  Tom.  "That's 
the  re-built  motor  in  action." 

"In  action!  I  should  say  it  was  in  action.  Is 
it  always  going  to  roar  like  that?" 

Indeed  the  motor  was  roaring  away,  spitting 
fire  and  burnt  gases  from  the  exhaust  pipe,  and 
enveloping  the  aeroplane  in  a  whitish  haze  of 
choking  smoke. 

"No,  I  have  the  muffler  cut  out,  and  that's  why 
she  barks  so.  But  she  runs  easier  that  way,  and  I 
want  to  get  her  smoothed  out  a  bit." 

"Whew!  That  smoke!"  gasped  his  chum. 
"Why  don't  you — whew — this  is  more  than  I 
can  stand,"  and  holding  his  hands  to  his  smarting 
eyes,  Ned,  gasping  and  choking,  staggered  away 
to  where  the  air  was  better. 

"It  is  sort  of  thick,"  admitted  Tom.  "But 
that's  only  because  she's  getting  too  much  oil. 
She'll  clear  in  a  few  minutes.  Stick  around  and 
we'll  go  up." 

Despite  the  choking  vapor,  the  young  inventor 
stuck  to  his  task  of  regulating  the  motor,  and  in 
a  short  while  the  smoke  became  less,  while  the 
big  propeller  blades  whirled  about  more  evenly. 
Then  Tom  adjusted  the  muffler,  and  most  of  the 
noise  stopped 


£  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Come  on  back,  and  finish  pumping  up  the 
tires,"  he  shouted  to  Ned.  "I'm  going  to  stop  her 
now,  and  then  I'll  give  her  the  pressure  test,  and 
we'll  take  a  trip." 

Having  cleared  his  eyes  of  smoke,  Ned  came 
back  to  his  task,  and  this  having  been  finished, 
Tom  attached  a  heavy  spring  balance,  or  scales, 
to  the  rope  that  held  the  airship  back  from  moving 
when  her  propellers  were  whirling  about. 

"How  much  pressure  do  you  want  ?"  asked  Ned. 

"I  ought  to  get  above  twelve  hundred  with  the 
way  the  motor  is  geared,  but  I'll  go  up  with  ten. 
Watch  the  needle  for  me." 

It  may  be  explained  that  when  aeroplanes  are 
tested  on  the  earth  the  propellers  are  set  in  motion. 
This  of  course  would  send  a  craft  whizzing  over 
the  ground,  eventually  to  rise  in  the  air,  but  for 
the  fact  that  a  rope,  attached  to  the  craft,  and  to 
some  stationary  object,  holds  it  back. 

Now  if  this  rope  is  hooked  to  a  spring  balance, 
which  in  turn  is  made  fast  to  the  stationary  ob- 
ject, the  "thrust"  of  the  propellers  will  be  regis- 
tered in  pounds  on  the  scale  of  the  balance.  Any- 
where from  five  hundred  to  nine  hundred  pounds 
of  thrust  will  take  a  monoplane  or  biplane  up. 
But  Tom  wanted  more  than  this. 

Once  more  the  motor  coughed  and  spluttered, 
and  the  big  blades  whirled  about  so  fast  that  they 


A  BREAKDOWN  g 

seemed  like  solid  pieces  of  wood.  Tom  stood  on 
the  ground  near  the  levers  which  controlled  the 
speed,  and  Ned  watched  the  scale. 

"How  much?"  yelled  the  young  inventor. 

"Eight  hundred." 

Tom  turned  on  a  little  more  gasolene. 

"How  much?"  he  cried  again. 

"Ten  hundred.    That'll  do!" 

"No,  I'm  going  to  try  for  more. 

Again  he  advanced  the  spark  and  gasolene 
levers,  and  the  comparatively  frail  craft  vibrated 
so  that  it  seemed  as  if  she  would  fly  apart. 

"Now?"  yelled  Tom. 

"Eleven  hundred  and  fifty!"  cried  Ned. 

"Good!  That'll  do  it.  She'll  give  more  after 
she's  been  running  a  while.  We'll  go  up." 

Ned  scrambled  to  his  seat,  and  Tom  followed. 
He  had  an  arrangement  so  that  he  could  slip 
loose  the  retaining  rope  from  his  perch  whenever 
he  was  ready. 

Waiting  until  the  motor  had  run  another  min- 
ute, the  young  inventor  pulled  the  rope  that  re- 
leased them.  Over  the  smooth  starting  ground 
that  formed  a  part  of  the  Swift  homestead  darted 
the  aeroplane.  Faster  and  faster  she  moved,  Ned 
gripping  the  sides  of  his  seat. 

"Here  we  go!"  cried  Tom,  and  the  next  instant 
they  shot  up  into  the  air. 


'j0          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Ned  Newton  had  ridden  many  times  with  his 
chum  Tom,  and  the  sensation  of  glidding  through 
the  upper  regions  was  not  new  to  him.  But  this 
time  there  was  something  different.  The  propel- 
lers seemed  to  take  hold  of  the  air  with  a  firmer 
grip.  There  was  more  power,  and  certainly  the 
speed  was  terrific. 

"We're  going  fast!"  yelled  Ned  into  Tom's 
ear. 

"That's  right,"  agreed  the  young  inventor. 
"She'll  beat  anything  but  my  Sky  Racer,  and 
she'd  do  that  if  she  was  the  same  size."  Tom  re- 
ferred to  a  very  small  aeroplane  he  had  made 
some  time  before.  It  was  like  some  big  bird,  and 
very  swift. 

Up  and  onward  went  the  remodeled  airship, 
faster  and  faster,  until,  when  several  miles  had 
been  covered,  Ned  realized  that  the  young  in- 
ventor had  achieved  another  triumph. 

"  It's  great,  Tom !    Great ! "  he  yelled. 

"Yes,  I  guess  it  will  do,  Ned.  I'm  satisfied.  If 
there  was  an  international  meet  now  I'd  capture 
some  of  the  prizes.  As  it  is " 

Tom  stopped  suddenly.  His  voice  which  had 
been  raised  to  overcome  the  noise  of  even  the 
muffled  motor,  sounded  unnaturally  loud,  and  no 
wonder,  for  the  engine  had  ceased  working! 

"What's  the  matter?"  gasped  Ned. 


A  BREAKDOWN  1 1 

"I  don't  know —  a  breakdown  of  some  kind." 

"Can  you  get  it  going  again?" 

"I'm  going  to  try." 

Tom  was  manipulating  various  levers,  but  with 
no  effect.  The  aeroplane  was  shooting  downward 
with  frightful  rapidity. 

"No  use!"  exclaimed  the  young  inventor. 
"Something  has  broken." 

"But  we're  falling,  Tom!" 

"I  know  it.  We've  done  it  before.  I'm  going 
to  vofplane  to  earth." 

This,  it  may  be  explained,  is  gliding  downward 
from  a  height  with  the  engine  shut  off.  Aero- 
pianists  often  do  it,  and  Tom  was  no  novice  at 
the  art. 

They  shot  downward  with  less  speed  now,  for 
the  young  inventor  had  thrown  up  his  head- 
planes  to  act  as  a  sort  of  brake.  Then,  a  little 
later  they  made  a  good  landing  in  a  field  near  a 
small  house,  in  a  rather  lonely  stretch  of  country, 
about  ten  miles  from  Shopton,  where  Tom  lived. 

"Now  to  see  what  the  trouble  is,"  remarked  our 
hero,  as  he  climbed  out  of  his  seat  and  began 
looking  over  the  engine.  He  poked  in  among  the 
numerous  cogs,  wheels  and  levers,  and  finally  ut- 
tered an  exclamation. 

"Find  it?"  asked  Ned. 

"Yes,  it's  in  the  magneto.     All  the  platinum 


12          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

bearings  and  contact  surfaces  have  fused  and  crys- 
talized.  I  never  saw  such  poor  platinum  as  I've 
been  getting  lately,  and  I  pay  the  highest  prices 
for  it,  too.  The  trouble  is  that  the  supply  of 
platinum  is  giving  out,  and  they'll  have  to  find  a 
substitute  I  guess." 

"Can't  we  go  home  in  her?"  asked  Ned. 

"I'm  afraid  not.  I've  got  to  put  in  new  plat- 
inum bearings  and  contacts  before  she'll  spark.  I 
only  wish  I  could  get  hold  of  some  of  the  better 
kind  of  metal." 

The  magneto  of  an  aeroplane  performs  a  serv- 
ice similar  to  one  in  an  automobile.  It  provides 
the  spark  that  explodes  the  charge  of  gas  in  the 
cylinders,  and  platinum  is  a  metal,  more  valuable 
now  than  gold,  much  used  in  the  delicate  parts  of 
the  magneto. 

"Well,  I  guess  it's  walk  for  ours,"  said  Ned 
ruefully. 

"I'm  afraid  so,"  went  on  Torn.  "If  I  only  had 
some  platinum,  I  could " 

"Perhaps  I  could  be  of  service  to  you,"  sudden- 
ly spoke  a  voice  behind  them,  and  turning,  the 
youths  saw  a  tall,  bearded  man,  who  had  evidently 
come  from  the  lonely  house.  "Did  I  hear  you 
say  you  needed  some  platinum?"  he  asked.  He 
spoke  with  a  foreign  accent,  and  Tom  at  once 
put  him  down  for  a  Russian. 


A  BREAKDOWN  13 

"Yes,  I  need  some  for  my  magneto,"  began  the 
young  inventor. 

"If  you  will  kindly  step  up  to  my  house,  perhaps 
I  can  give  you  what  you  want,"  went  on  the  man. 
"My  name  is  Ivan  Petrofsky,  and  I  have  only 
lately  come  to  live  here." 

"I'm  Tom  Swift,  of  Shopton,  and  this  is  my 
chum,  Ned  Newton,"  replied  the  young  inventor, 
completing  the  introductions.  He  was  wondering 
why  the  man,  who  seemed  a  cultured  gentleman, 
should  live  in  such  a  lonely  place,  and  he  was 
wondering  too  how  he  happened  to  have  some 
platinum. 

"Will  that  answer?"  asked  Mr.  Petrofsky,  when 
they  had  reached  his  house,  and  he  had  handed 
Tom  several  strips  of  the  precious  silver-like 
metal. 

"Do?  I  should  say  it  would !  My,  but  that  is 
the  best  platinum  I've  seen  in  a  long  while!"  ex- 
claimed Tom,  who  was  an  expert  judge  of  the 
metal.  "Where  did  you  get  it,  if  I  may  ask?" 

"It  came  from  a  lost  mine  in  Siberia,"  was  the 
unexpected  answer. 

"A  lost  mine?"  gasped  Tom. 

"In  Siberia?"  added  Ned. 

Mr.  Petrofsky  slowly  nodded  his  head,  and 
smiled,  but  rather  sadly. 

"A  lost  mine,"  he  said  slowly,  "and  if  it  could 


I4          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

be  found  I  would  be  the  happiest  man  on  eartK 
for  I  would  then  be  able  to  locate  and  save  my 
brother,  who  is  one  of  the  Czar's  exiles,"  and 
he  seemed  shaken  by  emotion. 

Tom  and  Ned  stood  looking  at  the  bearded 
man,  and  then  the  young  inventor  glanced  at  the 
platinum  strips  in  his  hand  while  a  strange  and 
daring  thought  came  to  him. 


CHAPTER  II 

A  DARING  PROJECT 

WHILE  Tom  and  his  chum  are  in  the  house  of 
the  Russian,  who  so  strangely  produced  the  plat- 
inum just  when  it  was  most  needed,  I  am  going  to 
take  just  a  little  time  to  tell  you  something  about 
the  hero  of  this  story.  Those  who  have  read  the 
previous  books  of  this  series  need  no  introduction 
to  him,  but  in  justice  to  my  new  readers  I  must 
make  a  little  explanation. 

Tom  Swift  was  an  inventor,  as  was  his  father 
before  him.  But  Mr.  Swift  was  getting  too  old, 
now,  to  do  much,  though  he  had  a  pet  invention — 
that  of  a  gyroscope — on  which  he  worked  from 
time  to  time.  Tom  lived  with  his  father  in  the 
village  of  Shopton,  in  New  York  state.  His 
mother  was  dead,  but  a  housekeeper,  named  Mrs. 
Baggert,  looked  after  the  wants  of  the  inventors, 
young  and  old. 

The  first  book  of  the  series  was  called  "Tom 
Swift  and  His  Motor-Cycle,"  and  in  that  I  re- 
lated how  Tom  bought  the  machine  from  a  Mr. 

is 


16          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Wakefield  Damon,  of  Waterford,  after  the  odd 
gentleman  had  unintentionally  started  to  climb  a 
tree  with  it.  That  disgusted  Mr.  Damon  with 
motor-cycling,  and  Tom  had  lots  of  fun  on  the 
machine,  and  not  a  few  daring  adventures. 

He  and  Mr.  Damon  became  firm  friends,  and 
the  oddity  of  the  gentleman — mainly  that  of  bless- 
ing everything  he  could  think  of — was  no  objec- 
tion in  Tom's  mind.  The  young  inventor  and 
Ned  Newton  went  on  many  trips  together,  Mr. 
Damon  being  one  of  the  party. 

In  Shopton  lived  Andy  Foger,  a  bullying  sort 
of  a  chap,  who  acted  very  meanly  toward  Tom  at 
times.  Another  resident  of  the  town  was  a  Mr. 
Nestor,  but  Tom  was  more  interested  in  his  daugh- 
ter Mary  than  in  the  head  of  the  household.  Add 
Eradicate  Sampson,  an  eccentric  colored  man  who 
said  he  got  his  name  because  he  "eradicated"  dirt, 
and  his  mule,  Boomerang,  and  I  think  you  have 
met  the  principal  characters  of  these  stories. 

After  Tom  had  much  enjoyment  out  of  his 
motor-cycle,  he  got  a  motor  boat,  and  one  of  his 
rivals  on  Lake  Carlopa  was  this  same  Andy 
Foger,  but  our  hero  vanquished  him.  Then  Tom 
built  an  airship,  which  had  been  the  height  of  his 
ambition  for  some  years.  He  had  a  stirring 
cruise  in  the  Red  Cloud,  and  then,  deserting  the 
air  for  the  water,  Tom  and  his  father  built  a  sub- 


A  DARING  PROJECT  17 

marine,  in  which  they  went  after  sunken  treasure. 

In  the  book,  "Tom  Swift  and  His  Electric  Run- 
about," I  told  how,  in  the  speediest  car  on  the 
road,  Tom  saved  his  father's  bank  from  ruin,  and 
in  the  book  dealing  with  Tom's  wireless  message 
I  related  how  he  saved  the  castaways  of  Earth- 
quake Island. 

When  Tom  went  among  the  diamond  makers, 
at  the  request  of  Mr.  Barco  Jenks,  and  discovered 
the  secret  of  phantom  mountain, the  lad  fancied 
that  might  be  the  end  of  his  adventures,  but  there 
were  more  to  follow.  Going  to  the  caves  of  ice, 
his  airship  was  wrecked,  but  he  and  his  friends 
managed  to  get  back  home,  and  then  it  was  that 
the  young  inventor  perfected  his  sky  racer,  in 
which  he  made  the  quickest  flight  on  record. 

Most  startling  were  his  adventures  in  elephant 
land  whither  he  went  with  his  electric  rifle,  and  he 
was  the  means  of  saving  a  missionary,  Mr.  Illing- 
way  and  his  wife,  from  the  red  pygmies. 

Tom  had  not  been  home  from  Africa  long  be- 
fore he  got  a  letter  from  this  missionary,  telling 
about  an  underground  city  in  Mexico  that  was 
said  to  be  filled  with  gold.  Tom  went  there,  and- 
in  the  book,  entitled,  "Tom  Swift  in  the  City  of 
Gold,"  I  related  his  adventures. 

How  he  and  his  friends  were  followed  by  the 
Fogers,  how  they  eluded  them,  made  their  wa)r 


18          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

to  the  ruined  temple  in  a  small  dirigible  balloon, 
descended  to  the  secret  tunnel,  managed  to  turn 
aside  the  underground  river,  and  reach  the  city 
of  gold  with  its  wonderful  gold  statues — all  this 
Nis  told  in  the  volume. 

Then,  after  pulling  down,  in  the  centre  of  the 
underground  city,  the  big  golden  statue,  the  door 
of  rock  descended,  and  made  our  friends  prison- 
ers. They  almost  died,  but  Andy  Foger  and  his 
father,  in  league  with  some  rascally  Mexicans 
and  a  tribe  of  head-hunters,  finally  made  their 
way  to  the  tunnel,  and  most  unexpectedly,  released 
Tom  and  his  friends. 

There  was  a  fight,  but  our  hero's  party  escaped 
with  considerable  gold  and  safely  reached  Shop- 
ton.  Now,  after  a  winter  spent  in  work,  fixing 
over  an  old  aeroplane,  we  again  meet  Tom. 

" Would  you  mind  telling  me  something  about 
where  this  platinum  comes  from,  and  if  you  can 
get  any  more  of  it?"  asked  Tom,  after  a  pause, 
following  the  strange  statement  made  by  the 
Russian. 

"I  will  gladly  tell  you  the  story,"  spoke  Mr. 
Petrofsky,  "for  I  am  much  interested  in  inven- 
tions, and  I  formerly  did  something  in  that  line 
myself,  and  I  have  even  made  a  small  aeroplane, 
so  you  see  I  know  the  need  of  platinum  in  a  high 
power  magneto." 


A  DARING  PROJECT  19 

"But  where  did  you  get  such  pure  metal?" 
asked  Tom.  "I  have  never  seen  it  s  equal." 

"There  is  none  like  it  in  all  the  world,"  went  on 
the  Russian,  "and  perhaps  there  never  can  be  any 
more.  I  have  only  a  small  supply.  But  in  Siberia v 
' — in  the  lost  mine — there  is  a  large  quantity  of 
it,  as  pure  as  this,  needing  only  a  little  refining. 

"Can't  we  get  some  from  there?"  asked  the 
young  inventor  eagerly.  "I  should  think  the  Rus- 
sian government  would  mine  it,  and  export  it." 

"They  would — if  they  could  find  it,"  said  Ivan 
Petrofsky  dryly,  "but  they  can't — no  one  can 
find  it — and  I  have  tried  very  hard — so  hard,  in 
fact,  that  it  is  the  reason  for  my  coming  to  this 
country — that  and  the  desire  to  find  and  aid  my 
brother,  who  is  a  Siberian  exile." 

"This  is  getting  interesting,"  remarked  Ned  to 
Tom  in  a  low  voice,  and  the  young  inventor 
nodded. 

"My  brother  Peter,  who  is  younger  than  I  by 
a  few  years,  and  I,  are  the  last  of  our  family," 
began  Mr.  Petrofsky,  motioning  Tom  and  Ned 
to  take  chairs.  "We  lived  in  St.  Petersburg,  and 
early  in  life,  though  we  were  of  the  nobility,  we/ 
took  up  the  cause  of  the  common  people." 

"Nihilists?"  asked  Ned  eagerly,  for  he  had 
read  something  of  these  desperate  men. 

"No,  and  not  anarchists,"  said  Mr.  Petrofsky 


20          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

with  a  sad  smile.  "Our  party  was  opposed  to 
violence,  and  we  depended  on  education  to  aid  our 
cause.  Then,  too,  we  did  all  we  could  in  a  quiet 
way  to  help  the  poor.  My  brother  and  I  invented 
several  life-saving  and  labor-saving  machines  and 
in  this  way  we  incurred  the  enmity  of  the  rich 
contractors  and  government  officials,  who  made 
more  money  the  more  people  they  could  have 
working  for  them,  for  they  made  the  people  buy 
their  food  and  supplies  from  them. 

"But  my  brother,  and  I  persisted,  with  the 
result  that  we  were  both  arrested,  and,  with  a 
number  of  others^were  sent  to  Siberia. 

"Of  the  horrors  we  endured  there  I  will  say 
nothing.  However,  you  have  probably  read 
much.  In  the  country  near  which  we  were  quar- 
tered there  were  many  mines,  some  of  salt  and 
some  of  sulphur.  Oh,  the  horros  of  those  mines! 
Many  a  poor  exile  has  been  lost  in  the  windings 
of  a  salt  mine,  there  to  die  miserably.  And  in 
the  sulphur  mines  many  die  also,  not  from  being 
lost  so  much  as  being  overcome  by  stifling  gases. 
It  is  terrible !  And  sometimes  they  are  purposely 
abandoned  by  their  guides,  for  the  government 
wants  to  get  rid  of  certain  exiles. 

"But  you  are  interested  in  platinum.  One  day 
my  brother  and  I  who  had  been  sent  to  work  in 
the  salt  mines,  mistook  a  turning  and  wandered 


A  DARING  PROJECT  21 

on  and  on  for  several  miles,  finally  losing  our 
Way.  We  had  food  and  water  with  us,  or  we 
would  have  perished,  and,  as  it  was,  we  nearly 
died  before  we  finally  found  our  way  out  of  an 
abandoned  opening. 

"We  came  out  in  the  midst  of  a  terrible  snow- 
storm, and  wandered  about  almost  frozen.  At 
last  we  were  found  by  a  serf  who,  in  his  sled, 
took  us  to  his  poor  cottage.  There  we  were 
warmed  and  fed  back  to  life. 

"We  knew  we  would  be  searched  for,  as  nat- 
urally, our  absence  would  lead  to  the  suspicion 
that  we  had  tried  to  escape.  So  as  soon  as  we 
were  able,  we  started  back  to  the  town  where  we 
Were  quartered.  The  serf  wanted  to  take  us  in 
his  sled,  but  we  knew  he  might  be  suspected  of 
having  tried  to  aid  us  to  get  away,  and  he  might 
be  arrested.  So  we  went  alone. 

"As  might  have  been  expected,  we  became  lost 
again,  and  wandered  about  for  several  days.  But 
We  had  enough  food  to  keep  us  alive.  And  it  was 
during  this  wandering  that  I  came  upon  the  plat- 
inum mine.  It  was  down  in  a  valley,  in  the  midst 
of  a  country  densely  wooded  and  very  desolate. 
There  was  an  outcropping  of  the  ore,  and  rather 
idly  I  put  some  of  it  in  my  pockets.  Then  we 
Wandered  on,  and  finally  after  awful  suffering 


22          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

in  terrific  storms,  were  found  by  a  searching  party 
and  brought  back  to  the  baracks. " 

"Did  they  think  you  had  escaped?"  asked  Tom. 

"They  did,"  replied  the  Russian,  "and  they 
punished  us  severly  for  it,  in  spite  of  our  denials. 
In  time  I  managed  secretly  to  smelt  the  platinum 
ore,  and  I  found  I  had  some  of  the  purest  metal 
I  had  ever  seen.  I  was  wishing  I  could  find  the 
mine,  or  tell  some  of  my  friends  about  it,  when 
one  of  the  officers  discovered  the  metal  in  my  bed. 

"He  demanded  to  know  where  I  had  gotten  it, 
and  knowing  that  refusal  would  only  make  it  the 
worse  for  me  I  told  him.  There  was  considerable 
excitement,  for  the  value  of  the  discovery  was 
recognized,  and  a  search  was  at  once  made  lor  the 
mine. 

"But,  even  with  the  aid  we  were  able  to  give, 
it  could  not  be  located.  Many  expeditions  went 
out  to  hunt  for  it  but  came  back  baffled.  They 
coukl  not  penetrate  that  wild  country." 

"They  should  have  used  an  aeroplane,"  suggest- 
ed Tom. 

"They  did,"  replied  the  Russian  quickly,  "but  it 
was  of  no  use." 

"Why  not?"  the  young  inventor  wanted  to 
know. 

"Because  of  the  tenfic  winds  that  almost  con- 
tinually sweep  over  that  part  of  SiberLau 


A  DARING  PROJECT  33 

never  seem  to  cease,  and  there  are  treacherous  air 
currents  and  'pockets'  that  engulfed  more  than 
one  luckless  aviator.  Oh,  you  may  be  sure  the 
Russian  government  spared  no  means  of  finding 
the  lost  platinum  mine,  but  they  could  not  locate 
it,  or  even  get  near  the  place  where  they  supposed 
it  to  be.  / 

"Then,  perhaps  thinking  that  my  Brother  and  I 
were  concealing  something,  they  separated  us. 
Where  they  sent  him  I  do  not  know,  but  I  was 
doomed  to  the  sulphur  mines.  I  was  heartbroken, 
and  I  scarcely  cared  whether  I  lived  or  died.  But 
an  opportunity  of  escape  came,  and  I  took  it.  I 
wanted  to  save  my  brother,  but  I  did  not  know 
where  he  was,  and  I  thought  if  I  could  make  my 
way  to  some  civilized  country,  or  to  free  America, 
I  might  later  be  able  to  save  my  brother. 

"I  went  to  England,  taking  some  of  my  prec- 
ious platinum  with  me,  and  stayed  there  for  two 
years.  I  learned  your  language,  but  my  efforts  to 
organize  an  expedition  to  search  for  the  lost  mine, 
and  for  my  brother,  failed.  Then  I  came  here, 
and — well,  I  am  still  trying. " 

" My !  That  is  certainly  interesting ! "  exclaimed 
Ned,  who  had  been  all  attention  during  the  telling 
of  the  story. 

"And  you  certainly  hkd  a  hard  time,"  declared 
Tom.  "I  am  much  obliged  for  this  platinum. 


24          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Have  you  set  a  price  on  it?  It  is  worth  much 
more  than  the  ordinary  kind." 

"The  price  is  nothing  to  you,"  replied  the  Rus- 
sian, with  a  smile.  "I  am  only  too  glad  to  help 
you  fix  your  aeroplane.  Will  it  take  long?  I 
should  like  to  watch  you." 

"Come  along,"  invited  Tom.  "I  can  soon  have 
it  going  again,  and  I'll  give  you  a  ride,  if  you 
like." 

"No,  thank  you,  I'm  hardly  up  to  that  yet, 
though  I  may  be  some  day.  The  machine  I  made 
never  flew  well  and  I  had  several  bad  falls." 

Tom  and  Ned  worked  rapidly  on  the  magneto, 
and  soon  had  replaced  the  defective  bits  of  plat- 
inum. 

"If  the  Russians  had  such  a  machine  as  this 
maybe  they  could  Lave  gotten  to  that  mine,"  sug- 
gested Ned,  who  was  very  proud  of  Tom's  craft. 

"It  would  be  useless  in  the  terrific  winds,  I 
fear, "  answered  Ivan  Petrof sky.  "  But  now  I  care 
little  for  the  mine.  It  is  my  brother  whom  I  want 
to  save.  He  must  be  in  some  of  the  Siberian 
mines,  and  if  I  had  such  a  craft  as  this  I  might  be 
able  to  rescue  him." 

Tom  Swift  dropped  the  file  he  was  using.  A 
bright  light  sparkled  in  his  eyes.  He  seemed 
strangely  excited. 

"Mr.  Petrofsky!"  he  cried,  "would  you  let  me 


A  DARING  PROJECT  2$ 

have  a  try  at  finding  your  brother,  and  would 
you  come  with  me?" 

"Would  I?"  asked  the  Russian  eagerly.  "I 
i would  be  your  debtor  for  life,  and  I  would  always 
pray  for  you,  if  you  could  help  me  to  save  my 
brother  Peter." 

"Then  we'll  have  a  try  at  it !"  cried  Tom.  "I've 
got  a  different  airship  than  this — one  in  which  I 
can  travel  three  thousand  miles  without  coming 
down.  I  haven't  had  any  excitement  since  I  got 
back  from  the  city  of  gold.  I'm  going  to  Russia 
to  help  you  rescue  your  brother  from  exile,  and 
I'm  also  going  to  have  a  try  for  that  lost  platinum 
treasure!" 

"Thank  heaven,  there  is  some  hope  for  poor 
Peter  at  last,"  murmured  Mr.  Petrofsky  earnestly. 

"You  never  can  get  to  the  platinum  mine,"  said 
Ned.  The  winds  will  tear  your  airship  to  pieces." 

"Not  the  kind  I'm  going  to  make,"  declared 
Tom.  "It's  going  to  be  an  air  glider,  that  will 
fairly  live  on  high  winds.  Ho!  for  Siberia  and 
the  platinum  mines.  Will  you  come?" 

"I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  an  air  glider, 
Tom  Swift,  but  I'll  go  to  help  rescue  my  brother/' 
was  the  quick  answer,  and  then,  with  the  light  of 
a  daring  resolve  shining  in  his  eyes,  the  young 
inventor  proceeded  to  get  his  aeroplane  in  shape 
for  the  trip  back  to  Shopton. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   HAND  OF  THE   CZAR 

"THEN  you  won't  take  a  ride  with  me  to-day?'* 
asked  the  young  inventor,  of  the  Russian,  as  he 
completed  the  repairs  to  the  magneto.  "I'd  like 
to  have  you  meet  my  father,  and  a  friend  of  his, 
Mr.  Damon.  Most  likely  he'll  go  to  Siberia  with 
us,  if  his  wife  will  let  him.  I'd  like  to  talk  some 
plans  over  with  you." 

"I  shall  certainly  call  on  you,"  answered  Ivan 
Petrofsky,  "but,"  he  added  with  a  smile,  "I 
think  I  should  prefer  to  take  my  first  ride  in  your 
l&rger  airship — the  one  that  doesn't  come  down  so 
often." 

"Well,  perhaps  it  is  a  little  easier  on  an  ama- 
teur," admitted  Tom.  "If  you'll  come  over  to 
our  house  at  any  time,  I'll  take  you  out  in  it,  or 
I'll  call  for  you." 

"I'll  come  over  in  a  few  days,"  answered  the 

•escaped  exile.     "Then  I'll  tell  you  all  I  know  of 

the  locality  where  the  platinum  mine  is  located, 

and  we  can  make  our  plans.     In  the  meanwhile 

26 


THE  HAND  OF  THE  CZAR  27 

don't  say  anything  about  what  I  have  told  you." 

"Why?"  asked  Ned  quickly. 

Mr.  Petrofsky  approached  closer  to  the  lads, 
and  in  a  low  voice  said : 

"I  am  not  sure  about  it,  but  of  late  I  think  I 
have  been  shadowed.  I  have  seen  strange  men 
in  the  village  near  here  and  they  have  eyed  me 
rather  suspiciously.  Then,  too,  I  have  surprised 
several  men  around  my  house.  I  live  here  all 
alone,  you  know,  and  do  most  of  my  own  work, 
a  woman  coming  in  occasionally  to  clean.  But 
I  don't  like  these  suspicious  characters  hanging 
about. 

"Who  do  you  think  they  are?"  asked  Tom. 

"I'm  almost  afraid  to  think,  but  from  my  past 
experience  I  think — nay,  I  fear — they  may  be 
spies,  or  agents  of  the  Russian  government." 

"Spies! "cried  Ned. 

"Hush.  Not  so  loud,"  cautioned  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky. "They  may  even  now  be  in  hiding,  especially 
since  your  aeroplane  landed  so  near  my  house. 
They  may  see  something  suspicious  even  in  that." 

"But  why  should  the  Russian  government  set 
spies  on  you?"  asked  Tom  in  a  low  voice. 

"For  two  reasons.  I  am  an  escaped  exile,  and  I 
am  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  Therefore 
I  may  be  sent  back  to  the  sulphur  mines.  And 
another  reason  is  that  they  may  think  I  know  the 


28          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

secret  of  the  platinum  treasure — the  lost  mine." 

"Say  this  is  getting  interesting!"  exclaimed 
Tom.  "If  we  are  going  to  have  a  brush  with 
some  of  the  spies  of  the  Russian  government  so 
much  the  better.  I'm  ready  for  'em!" 

"So am  I!"  added  Ned. 

"You  don't  know  them,"  said  Mr.  Petrofsky, 
and  he  could  not  repress  a  shudder.  "I  hope  they 

are  not  on  my  trail,  but  if  they  are "  he  paused 

a  moment,  straightened  himself  up,  and  looked 
like  what  he  was,  a  strong  man — "if  they  are — 
let  them  look  out.  Fd  give  my  life  to  save  my 
brother  from  the  awful,  living  death  to  which  he 
is  consigned!" 

"And  we're  with  you!"  cried  Tom,  offering  the 
Russian  his  hand.  "We'll  turn  the  trick  yet. 
Now  don't  forget  to  come  and  see  us.  Come 
along,  Ned.  If  I'm  going  to  build  an  air  glider 
I've  got  to  get  busy."  And  waving  farewells  to 
their  new  friend,  the  lads  took  their  places  in  the 
aeroplane  and  were  soon  on  their  way  to  Shopton. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it?"  asked  Ned  of 
his  chum,  as  they  sped  along  at  a  good  elevation, 
the  engine  going  at  half  speed  to  be  less  noisy  and 
make  talking  easier. 

"Lots.     I  think  we're  in  for  a  good  time." 

"An  exciting  one,  anyhow,  if  what  he  says  is 


THE  HAND  OF  THE  CZAR  29 

true.  But  what  in  the  world  is  an  air  glider, 
Tom?" 

"It's  the  last  word  in  aeroplanes.  You  don't 
need  a  motor  to  make  it  go. " 

"Don't  need  a  motor?" 

"No,  the  wind  does  it  all.  It's  a  sort  of  aero- 
plane, but  the  motion  comes  from  the  wind,  act- 
ing on  different  planes,  and  this  is  accomplished 
by  shifting  weights.  In  it  you  can  stand  still  in 
a  fierce  gale,  if  you  like." 

"How,  by  tying  her  fast  on  the  ground?" 

"No,  hovering  in  the  air.  It's  all  done  by 
getting  the  proper  balance.  The  harder  the  wind 
blows  the  better  the  air  glider  works,  and  that's 
why  I  think  it  will  be  just  the  thing  for  Siberia. 
I'm  going  to  get  right  at  work  on  it,  and  you'll 
help  me;  won't  you?" 

"I  sure  will.     Say,  is  platinum  worth  much?" 

"Worth  much?  I  should  say  it  was!  It's 
got  gold  beat  now,  and  the  available  supply  is  very 
small,  and  it's  getting  more  scarce.  Russia  has 
several  mines,  and  the  metal  is  of  good  quality. 
I've  used  some  Russian  platinum,  but  the  kind  Mi , 
Petrofsky  gave  me  to-day  was  better  than  the  best 
I  ever  had.  If  we  can  only  find  that  lost  mine 
we'll  be  millionaires  all  right." 

"That's  what  we  thought  when  we  found  the 


30          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

city  of  gold,  but  the  gold  wasn't  of  as  fine  a 
grade  as  we  hoped." 

"Well,  nothing  like  that  can  happen  in  this 
platinum  deal.  It  sure  is  rich  ore  that  Mr.  Pet- 
rof sky  and  his  brother  found.  Poor  fellow !  To 
think  of  being  an  exile  in  that  awful  country,  not 
knowing  where  you  may  be  sent  next.  No  wonder 
Mr.  Petrofsky  wants  to  rescue  him." 

"That's  right.  Well,  here  we  are.  I  wonder 
what  your  father  will  say  when  he  hears  you're 
thinking  of  another  expedition,  Torn?" 

"Oh,  he'll  want  me  to  go  when  he  hears  about 
the  exile." 

"And  I'm  sure  my  folks  will  let  me  go.  How 
about  Mr.  Damon?" 

"I  don't  believe  we  can  hold  him  back.  It  will 
make  a  nice  party,  just  you  and  I,  and  Mr.  Damon 
and  Mr.  Petrofsky.  That  will  leave  room  for  the 
other  Russian — if  we  can  rescue  him,"  and  with 
that  Tom  shut  off  the  engine  and  glided  to  earth. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  Mr.  Swift  was 
surprised  when  his  son  told  him  the  latest  news, 
but  he  did  not  offer  any  serious  objection  to  the 
young  inventor  going  to  Siberia. 

"Only  you  must  be  careful,"  he  said.  "Those 
Russian  officers  are  ugly  when  it  comes  to  trying 
to  take  away  any  of  their  prisoners.  And  this 
air  glider — I  don't  exactly  know  about  that.  It's 


THE  HAND  OF  THE  CZAR  31 

a  new  machine,  and  you  want  to  be  sure  it  works 
before  you  trust  yourself  to  it." 

"I  will,"  promised  Tom.  "Say,  I've  got  plenty 
of  work  ahead  of  me, — to  get  my  big  airship  in 
shape,  and  build  the  glider.  You'll  have  to  help 
me,  dad." 

"I  will,  son.  Now  tell  me  more  about  this  Mr. 
Petrofsky."  Which  Tom  did. 

The  days  that  followed  were  indeed  busy  ones 
for  Tom.  The  young  inventor  made  a  model  air 
glider  that  sailed  fairly  well,  but  he  knew  it 
would  have  to  work  better  to  be  successful,  and 
be  bent  all  his  energies  in  that  direction  Mean- 
while Mr.  Damon  had  been  told  of  the  pros- 
pective trip. 

"Bless  my  bank  book!  Of  course  Til  go,"  he 
said.  "But  don't  say  anything  about  it  to  my 
wife — that  is,  just  yet.  I'll  bring  her  around  to  it 
gradually.  She  has  always  wanted  a  diamond 
ring  set  in  platinum,  and  now  I  can  get  it  for 
her.  I  know  she'll  let  me  go  if  I  break  it  to  her 
gently." 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  many  valuable 
diamonds  are  now  set  in  platinum  instead  of 
gold. 

"I  want  to  keep  busy,"  said  Mr.  Damon,  so 
(Tom  set  him,  Ned  and  Eradicate  at  the  task  of 
getting  the  big  airship  in  shape  for  the  trip.  This 


32          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

air  craft  has  not  figured  in  any  of  my  previous 
stories,  but  as  it  is  so  nearly  like  the  one  that 
was  crushed  in  the  caves  of  ice,  I  will  not  give  a 
description  of  it  here.  Those  who  care  to  may 
refer  to  the  book  telling  of  Tom's  trip  to  the 
caves  of  ice  for  a  detailed  account  of  the  craft. 

Sufficient  to  say  that  this  latest  airship,  named 
the  Falcon,  was  the  largest  Tom  had  ever  built. 
It  contained  much  room,  many  comforts,  and 
could  sail  for  several  thousand  miles  without 
descending,  except  in  case  of  accident.  It  was  a 
combined  dirigible  balloon  and  aeroplane,  and 
could  be  used  as  either,  the  necessary  gas  being 
made  on  board.  It  was  large  enough  to  enable 
the  air  glider  to  be  taken  on  it  in  sections. 

It  was  about  a  week  after  their  first  meeting 
with  him,  that  Ivan  Petrofsky  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Swift  home.  He  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the 
aged  inventor  and  Mr.  Damon,  and,  closeted  in 
the  library  of  the  house,  he  proceeded  to  go  more 
into  details  of  his  own  and  his  brother's  exile  to 
Siberia,  and  to  tell  about  the  supposed  location  of 
the  lost  platinum  mine. 

"I  don't  believe  we  can  start  for  several  weeks 
yet,"  said  Tom,  after  some  discussion.  "It  will 
take  me  that  long  to  make  the  glider." 

"And  I,  too,  need  a  little  time,"  said  the  Rus- 
sian. "I  will  write  to  some  friends  in  St.  Peters* 


THE  HAND  OF  THE  CZAR  33 

burg  and  perhaps  they  can  get  some  information 
for  us,  as  to  where  my  brother  is. 

"That  will  be  good,"  declared  Mr.  Damon. 
"Bless  my  icicle!  But  the  more  I  think  of  this 
trip  the  better  I  like  it!" 

It  was  arranged  that  the  Russian  should  call 
again  soon,  when  the  plans  would  be  nearer  in 
shape,  and  in  the  meanwhile  he  must  learn  all  he 
could  from  revolutionary  friends  in  Siberia. 

It  was  a  week  after  this,  during  which  Tom, 
Ned  and  the  others  had  been  very  busy,  that  Tom 
decided  to  take  a  trip  to  see  their  Russian  friend. 
They  had  not  heard  frorr  him  since  his  visit,  and 
Tom  wanted  to  learn  something  about  the  strength 
of  the  Siberian  winds. 

He  and  Ned  went  in  one  of  the  small  airships 
and  soon  they  were  hovering  over  the  grounds 
surrounding  the  lonely  house  where  Ivan  Petrof- 
sky  lived. 

"He  doesn't  seem  to  be  at  home,"  remarked 
Ned,  as  they  descended  and  approached  the  dwell- 
ing. 

"No,  and  it  looks  quite  deserted,"  agreed  the 
young  inventor.  "Say,  all  the  doors  are  open, 
too!  He  shouldn't  go  away  and  leave  his  house 
open  like  that  —  with  the  valuable  platinum 
there." 

"Maybe  he's  asleep,"  suggested  Ned. 


34          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

They  knocked  on  the  opened  door,  but  there 
was  no  answer.  Then  they  went  inside.  To  their 
surprise  the  house  was  in  confusion.  Furniture 
was  overturned,  tables  and  chairs  were  broken, 
and  papers  were  scattered  about  the  room. 

"There's  been  a  fight  here!"  cried  Tom. 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Ned.  "Maybe  he's  been 
hurt — maybe  burglars  came  for  the  platinum!" 

"Come  on!"  cried  Tom,  making  a  dash  for  the 
stairs.  "We'll  see  if  he's  here." 

The  house  was  small,  and  it  took  but  a  moment 
to  show  that  Mr.  Petrofsky  was  not  there.  Up- 
stairs, as  below,  was  the  same  confusion — the 
overturned  furniture  and  the  papers  scattered 
about. 

Tom  stooped  and  picked  up  a  scrap  that  looked 
like  a  piece  torn  from  a  letter.  On  top  was  a 
seal — the  black  seal  of  Russia — the  imperial  arms 
of  the  Czar! 

"Look!"  cried  Tom,  holding  out  the  paper. 

"What  is  it."  asked  Ned. 

"The  hand  of  the  Czar!"  answered  his  chum. 
"It  has  reached  out  from  Russia,  and  taken  Mr. 
Petrafsky  away!" 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   SEARCH 

FOR  a  moment  Ned  could  scarcely  understand 
what  Tom  meant.  It  scarcely  seemed  possible 
that  such  a  thing  could  happen.  That  some  one 
in  far-off  Russia — be  it  the  Czar  or  one  of  the 
secret  police — could  operate  from  such  a  distance, 
seeking  out  a  man  in  an  obscure  house  in  a  little 
American  village,  and  snatching  him  away. 

"It  isn't  possible!"  declared  Ned  breathlessly. 

"What  difference  does  that  make?"  asked  Tom. 
"The  thing  has  happened,  and  you  can't  get  out 
of  it.  Look  at  all  the  evidence — there's  been  a 
fight,  that's  sure,  and  Mr.  Petrofsky  is  gone." 

"But  maybe  he  went  away  of  his  own  accord," 
insisted  Ned,  who  was  sometimes  hard  to  convince. 

"Nonsense!  If  a  man  went  away  of  his  own 
accord  would  he  smash  up  his  furniture,  leave  his 
papers  scattered  all  about  and  go  off  leaving  the 
doors  and  windows  open  for  any  one  to  walk  in? 
I  guess  not. " 

"Well,  maybe  you're  right.  But  think  of  it! 
fThis  isn't  Russia!" 

35 


36          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"No,  but  he's  a  Russian  subject,  and,  by  his  owfi 
confession^an  escaped  exile.  If  he  was  arrested  in 
the  usual  way  he  could  be  taken  back,  and  our 
government  couldn't  interfere.  He's  been  taken 
back  all  right.  Poor  man !  Think  of  being  doomed 
to  those  sulphur  mines  again,  and  as  he  escaped 
they'll  probably  make  it  all  the  harder  for  him!" 

"But  I  thought  our  goverment  wouldn't  help 
other  nations  to  get  back  prisoners  convicted  of 
political  crimes,*  suggested  Ned.  "That's  all  Mr. 
Petrofsky  was  guilty  of — politics,  trying  to  help 
the  poor  in  his  own  country.  It's  a  shame  if  our 
government  stands  for  anything  like  that!" 

"That's  just  the  point!"  exclaimed  Tom.  *  Prob- 
ably the  spies,  secret  police,  or  whoever  the  Rus- 
sian agents  were,  didn't  ask  any  help  from  our 
government.  If  they  did  there  might  be  a  chance 
for  him.  But  likely  they  worked  in  secret.  They 
came  here,  sneaked  in  on  him,  and  took  him  away 
before  he  could  get  help.  Jove !  If  he  could  only 
have  gotten  word  to  me  I'd  have  come  in  the  air- 
ship, and  then  there'd  be  a  different  ending  to 
this." 

"I  guess  you're  right,  Tom.    Well,  that  ends  it* 
I  suppose." 

"Ends  what?" 

"Our  trip  to  the  platinum  mine." 


THE  SEARCH  37 

"Not  a  bit  of  it.  I'm  going  to  have  a  hunt 
for  it." 

"But  how  can  you  when  Mr.  Petrofsky  can't 
§o  along  to  show  us  the  way  ?  Besides,  we  wanted 
to  heip  rescue  his  brother,  and  now  we  can't." 

"Well,  I'm  going  to  make  a  big  try,"  declared 
the  young  inventor  firmly.  "And  the  first  thing 
I'm  going  to  do  is  to  get  our  friend  out  of  the 
clutches  of  the  Rusian  police." 

"You  are?    How?" 

"I'm  going  to  make  a  search  for  him.  Look 
here,  Ned,  he  must  have  been  taken  away  some 
time  to-day — perhaps  only  a  few  hours  ago — and 
they  can't  have  gone  far  with  him." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?"  Ned  wanted 
to  know. 

"Well,  I  guess  I'm  detective  enough  for  that," 
and  Tom  smiled.  "Look  here,  the  doors  and  win- 
dows are  open.  Now  it  rained  last  night,  and 
there  was  quite  a  wind.  If  the  windows  had  been 
open  in  the  storm  there'd  be  some  traces  of 
moisture  in  the  rooms.  But  there  isn't  a  drop. 
Consequently  the  windows  have  been  opened 
Since  last  night." 

"Say,  that's  so !"  cried  Ned  admiringly. 

"But  that's  not  all,"  went  on  Tom.  "Here's  a 
bottle  of  milk  on  the  table,  and  it's  fresh,"  which 
he  proved  by  tasting  it.  "Now  that  was  left  by 


38          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  milkman  either  late  last  night  or  early  this 
morning.  I  don't  believe  it's  over  twelve  hours 
old." 

"Well,  what  does  this  mean?"  asked  Ned,  who 
couldn't  quite  follow  Tom's  line  of  reasoning. 

"To  my  mind  it  means  that  the  spies  were  here 
no  later  than  this  morning.  Look  at  the  table  up- 
set, the  dishes  on  the  floor.  Here's  one  with  oat- 
meal in  it,  and  you  know  how  hard  and  firm 
cooked  oatmeal  gets  after  it  stands  a  bit.  This  is 
quite  fresh,  and  soft,  and " 

"And  that  means "  interrupted  Ned,  who 

was  in  turn  interrupted  by  Tom,  who  exclaimed: 

"It  means  that  Mr.  Peterofsky  was  at  break- 
fast when  they  burst  in  on  him,  and  took  him 
away.  They  had  hard  work  overpowering  him, 
I'll  wager,  for  he  could  put  up  a  pretty  good 
fight.  And  the  broken  furniture  is  evidence  of 
that.  Then  the  spies,  after  tying  him  up,  or  put- 
ting him  in  a  carriage,  searched  the  house  for  in- 
criminating papers.  That's  as  plain  as  the  nose 
on  your  face.  Then  the  police  agents,  or  whoever 
they  were,  skipped  out  in  a  hurry,  not  taking  the 
trouble  to  close  the  windows  and  doors." 

"I  believe  it  did  happen  that  way,"  agreed  Ned, 
who  clearly  saw  what  Tom  meant.  "But  what 
can  we  do  ?  How  can  we  find  him  ?" 

"By  getting  on  the  trail, "  answered  his  chuni 


THE  SEARCH  39 

quickly.  "There  may  be  more  clews  in  the  house, 
and  I'm  sure  there'll  be  some  out  of  doors,  for 
they  must  have  left  footprints  or  the  marks  of 
carriage  wheels.  We'll  take  a  look,  and  then  we'll 
get  right  on  the  search.  I'm  not  going  to  let  them 
take  Mr.  Petrofsky  to  Russia  if  I  can  help  it.  I 
want  to  get  after  that  platinum,  and  he's  the  only 
one  who  can  pilot  us  anywhere  near  the  place; 
and  besides,  there's  his  brother  we've  got  to  res- 
cue. We'll  make  a  search  for  the  exile." 

"I'm  with  you!  "cried  Ned.  "Jove!  Wouldn't 
it  be  great  if  we  could  rescue  him?  They  can't 
have  gotten  very  far  with  him." 

"I'm  afraid  they  have  quite  a  start  on  us," 
admitted  Tom  with  a  dubious  shake  of  his  head, 
"but  as  long  as  they're  in  the  United  States  we 
have  a  chance.  If  ever  they  get  him  on  Russian 
soil  it's  all  up  with  him." 

"Come  on  then!"  cried  Ned.  "Let's  get  busy. 
What's  the  first  thing  to  do?" 

"Look  for  clews,"  replied  Tom.  "We'll  begin 
at  the  top  of  the  house  and  work  down.  It's 
lucky  we  came  when  we  did,  for  every  minute 
counts. " 

Then  the  two  plucky  lads  began  their  search 
for  the  kidnapped  Russian  exile.  Had  those  who 
took  him  away  seen  the  mere  youths  who  thus 
devoted  themselves  to  the  task,  they  might  have 


40          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

laughed  in  contempt,  but  those  who  know  Tom 
Swift  and  his  sturdy  chum,  know  that  two  more 
resourceful  and  brave  lads  would  be  hard  to 
find. 


CHAPTER  V 

A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA 

"NOTHING  much  up  here,"  remarked  Tom, 
when  he  and  Ned  had  gone  all  over  the  second 
floor  twice.  "That  scrap  of  paper,  which  put  me 
on  to  the  fact  that  some  one  from  the  Russian 
government  had  been  here,  is  about  all.  They 
must  have  taken  all  the  documents  Mr.  Petrofsky 
had." 

"Maybe  he  didn't  have  any,"  suggested  Ned. 

"If  rie  was  wise  he'd  get  rid  of  them  when  he 
knew  he  was  being  shadowed,  as  he  told  us. 
Perhaps  that  was  why  they  broke  up  the  furniture, 
searching  for  hidden  papers,  or  they  may  have 
done  it  out  of  spite  because  they  didn't  find  any- 
thing. But  we  might  as  well  go  downstairs  and 
look  there." 

But  the  first  floor  was  equally  unproductive  of 
clews,  save  those  already  noted,  which  showed,  at 
least  so  Tom  believed,  that  Mr.  Petrofsky  had 
been  surprised  and  overpowered  while  at  break- 
fast. 

41 


42          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Now  for  outside!"  cried  the  young  inventor. 
"We'll  see  if  we  can  figure  out  how  they  got  him 
away." 

There  were  plenty  of  marks  in  the  soft  ground 
and  turf,  which  was  still  damp  from  the  night's, 
rain,  though  it  was  now  afternoon.  Unfortunate- 
ly, however,  in  approaching  the  house  after  leav- 
ing the  aeroplane,  Ned  and  Tom  had  not  thought 
to  exercise  caution,  and,  not  suspecting  anything 
wrong,  they  had  stepped  on  a  number  of  foot- 
prints left  by  the  kidnappers. 

But  for  all  that,  they  saw  enough  to  convince 
them  that  several  men  had  been  at  the  lonely 
house,  for  there  were  many  marks  of  shoes.  It 
was  out  of  the  question,  however,  to  tell  which 
were  those  of  Mr.  Petrofsky  and  which  those  of 
his  captors. 

"They  might  have  carried  him  out  to  a  carriage 
they  had  in  waiting,"  suggested  Ned.  "Let's  go 
out  to  the  front  gate  and  look  in  the  road.  They 
hardly  would  bring  the  carriage  up  to  the  door.** 

"Good  idea,"  commented  Tom,  and  they  hur- 
ried to  the  main  thoroughfare  that  passed  the 
Russian's  house. 

"Here  they  are!"  cried  Ned,  who  was  in  the. 
lead.  "There's  been  a  carriage  here  as  sure  as 
you're  a  foot  high,  and  it's  a  rubber-tired  one 
too." 


rA  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA  43 

"Good  I"  cried  Tom  admiringly.  "You're  com- 
ing right  along  in  your  detective  training.  How 
do  you  make  that  out?" 

"See  here,  where  a  piece  of  rubber  has  been 
broken  or  cut  out  of  the  tire.  It  makes  a  peculiar 
mark  in  the  dirt  every  time  the  wheel  goes 
around." 

"That's  right,  and  it  will  be  a  good  thing  to 
trace  the  carriage  by.  Come  on,  we'll  keep  right 
after  it." 

"Hold  on  a  bit,"  suggested  Ned,  who,  though 
not  so  quick  as  Tom  Swift,  frequently  produced 
good  results  by  his  very  slowness.  "Are  you  go- 
ing off  and  leave  the  airship  here  for  some  one  to 
walk  off  with?" 

"Guess  they  wouldn't  take  it  far,"  replied  the 
young  inventor,  "but  I'd  better  make  it  safe.  I'll 
disconnect  it  so  they  can't  start  it,  though  if 
Andy  Foger  happens  to  come  along  he  might 
slash  the  planes  just  out  of  spite.  But  I  guess 
he  won't  show  up." 

Tom  took  a  connecting  pin  out  of  the  elec- 
trical apparatus,  making  it  impossible  to  start  the 
aeroplane,  and  then,  wheeling  it  out  of  sight 
behind  a  small  barn,  he  and  Ned  went  back  to 
the  carriage  marks  in  the  road. 

"Hurry!"  urged  Tom,  as  he  started  off  in  the 
direction  of  >the  village  of  Hurdtown,  near  where 


44          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  cottage  stood.  "We  will  ask  people  living 
along  the  highway  if  they've  seen  a  carriage  pass.* 

"But  what  makes  you  think  they  went  off  that 
way?"  asked  Ned.  "I  should  think  they'd  head 
away  from  the  village,  so  as  not  to  be  seen." 

"No,  I  don't  agree  with  you.  But  wait,  we'll 
look  at  the  marks.  Maybe  that  will  help  us." 

Peering  carefully  at  the  marks  of  horses'  hoofs 
and  the  wheel  impressions,  Tom  uttered  a  cry  of 
discovery. 

"I  have  it!"  he  declared.  "The  carriage  came 
from  the  village,  and  kept  right  on  the  other  way. 
You're  right,  Ned.  They  didn't  go  back  to  town." 

"Are  you  sure?" 

"Of  course.  You  can  see  for  yourself;  if  the 
carriage  had  turned  around  the  track  would  show, 
but  it  doesn't  and,  even  if  they  turned  on  the  grass, 
there'd  be  two  lines  of  marks — one  coming  out 
here  and  one  returning.  As  it  is  there  is  only  a 
single  set — just  as  if  the  carriage  drove  up  here, 
took  on  its  load,  and  continued  on.  This  way, 
Ned." 

They  hurried  down  the  road,  and  soon  came  to 
a  cluster  of  farm  houses.  Inquiries  there,  how- 
ever, failed  to  bring  anything  to  light,  for  either 
the  occupants  of  the  house  had  failed  to  notice 
passing  vehicles,  or  there  had  been  so  many  that 
any  particular  carriage  was  not  recalled. 


A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA  45 

And  there  were'  now  so  many  impressions  in  the 
soft  dirt  of  the  highway — so  many  wheel  tracks 
and  hoof  imprints — that  it  was  impossible  to  pick 
out  those  of  the  carriage  with  the  cut  rubber  tire. 

"Well,  I  guess  it  isn't  of  much  use  to  go  on  any 
farther,"  spoke  Ned,  when  they  had  traveled 
several  miles  and  had  learned  nothing. 

"We'll  try  one  more  house,  and  then  go  back," 
agreed  Tom.  "We'll  tell  dad  about  what's  hap- 
pened, and  see  what  he  says." 

"Carnage?"  repeated  an  old  farmer  to  whom 
they  next  put  the  question.  "Wa'al,  now,  come 
t'  think  of  it,  I  did  see  one  drivin'  along  here 
early  this  morning.  It  had  rubber  tires  on  too, 
for  I  recollect  remarkin'  t'  myself  that  it  didn't 
make  much  noise.  Had  t'  talk  t'  myself,"  he 
added  in  explanation,  "  'cause  nobody  else  in  the 
family  was  up,  'ceptin'  th'  dog." 

"Did  the  carriage  have  some  Russians  in  it?" 
asked  Tom  eagerly,  "and  was  one  a  big  bearded 
man?" 

"Wa'al,  now  you've  got  me,"  admitted  the 
farmer  frankly.  "It  was  quite  early  you  see, 
and  I  didn't  take  no  particular  notice.  I  got  up 
early  t'  do  my  milkin'  'cause  I  have  t'  take  it  t' 
th'  cheese  factory.  That's  th'  reason  nobody  was 
up  but  me.  But  I  see  this  carriage  comin'  down 
th'  road,  and  thinks  I  t'  myself  it  was  pretty 


46  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

middlin5  early  fer  anybody  t'  be  takin'  a  pleasure 
ride:  I  'lowed  it  were  a  pleasure  ride,  'cause  it 
were  one  of  them  hacks  that  folks  don't  usually 
use  'ceptin'  fer  a  weddin',  or  a  funeral,  an*  it 
wa'n't  no  funeral." 

"Then  you  can't  tell  us  anything  more  except 
that  it  passed?"  asked  Ned. 

"No,  I  couldn't  see  inside,  'cause  it  was  rather 
dark  at  that  hour,  and  then,  too,  I  noticed  that 
they  had  th'  window  shades  down." 

"That's  suspicious!"  exclaimed  Tom.  "I  be- 
lieve they  are  the  fellows  we're  after,"  and,  with- 
out giving  any  particulars  he  said  that  they  were 
looking  for  a  friend  who  might  have  been  taken 
away  against  his  will. 

"Could  you  tell  where  they  were  going?"  asked 
Tom,  scarcely  hoping  to  get  an  affirmative  answer. 

"Wa'al,  th'  man  on  th'  seat  pulled  up  when  he 
see  me,"  spoke  the  farmer  with  exasperating  slow- 
ness, "an'  asked  me  how  far  it  was  t'  th'  Water- 
ville  station,  an'  I  told  him." 

"Why  didn't  you  say  so  at  first?"  asked  Torn 
quickly.  "Why  didn't  you  tell  us  they  were 
heading  for  the  railroad?" 

"You  didn't  ask  me,"  replied  the  farmer. 
"What  difference  does  it  make." 

"Every  minute  counts!"  exclaimed  the  young 
inventor.  "We  want  to  keep  right  after  those 


A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA  47 

'fellows.  Maybe  the  agent  can  tell  us  where  they 
bought  tickets  to,  and  we  can  trace  them  that 
way." 

"Shouldn't  wonder,"  commented  the  farmer. 
fThere  ain't  many  trains  out  from  Waterville  at 
that  time  of  day,  an'  mighty  few  passengers. 
Shouldn't  wonder  but  Jake  Applesauer  could  put 
ye  on  th'  trail." 

"Much  obliged,"  called  Tom.  "Come  on,  Ned," 
and  he  started  back  in  the  direction  of  the  house 
where  the  kidnapping  had  taken  place. 

"That  ain't  th'  way  t'  Waterville!"  the  farmer 
shouted  after  them. 

"I  know  it,  we're  going  to  get  our  airship," 
answered  Tom,  and  then  he  heard  the  farmer 
.mutter. 

"Plumb  crazy!  That's  what  they  be!  Plumb 
crazy!  Going  after  their  airship!  Shouldn't 
wonder  but  they  was  escaped  lunatics,  and  the 
other  fellers  was  keepers  after  'em.  Hu !  Wa'al, 
I've  got  my  work  to  do.  'Tain't  none  of  my 
affair." 

"Let  him  think  what  he  likes,"  commented  Ned 
as  he  and  his  chum  hurried  on.  "We're  on  the 
trail  all  right." 

If  Jake  Applesauer,  the  agent  at  the  Water- 
ville station,  was  surprised  at  seeing  two  youths 
drop  down  out  of  an  aeroplane,  and  begin  ques- 


48          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

tioning  him  about  some  suspicious  strangers  that 
had  taken  the  morning  train,  he  did  not  show  it. 
Jake  prided  himself  on  not  being  surprised  at 
anything,  except  once  when  he  took  a  counter- 
feit dollar  in  return  for  a  ticket,  and  had  to  make 
it  good  to  the  company. 

But,  to  the  despair  of  Tom  and  Ned,  he  could 
not  help  them  much.  He  had  seen  the  party,  of 
course.  They  had  driven  up  in  the  hack,  and  one 
of  the  men  seemed  to  be  sick,  or  hurt,  'for  his 
head  was  done  up  in  bandages,  and  the  others  had 
to  half  carry  him  on  the  train. 

"That  was  Mr.  Petrofsky  all  right,"  declared 
Ned. 

"Sure,"  assented  Tom.  "They  must  have  hurt 
and  drugged  him.  But  you  can't  tell  us  for  what 
station  they  bought  tickets,  Mr.  Applesauer?" 

"No,  for  they  didn't  buy  any.  They  must  have 
had  'em,  or  else  they  paid  on  the  train.  One  man 
drove  off  in  the  coach,  and  that's  all  I  know." 

As  Tom  and  Ned  started  back  to  Shopton  in 
the  aeroplane  they  discussed  what  could  be  done 
next.  A  hard  task  lay  before  them,  and  they 
realized  that. 

"They  could  have  gotten  off  at  any  station  be- 
tween here  and  New  York,  or  even  changed  to 
another  railroad  at  the  junction,"  spoke  Tom. 
"It's  going  to  be  a  hard  job." 


A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA 


49 


"Guess  we'll  have  to  get  some  regular  detectives 
on  it,"  suggested  Ned. 

"And  that's  what  I'll  do,"  declared  the  young 
inventor.  "They  may  be  able  to  locate  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky  before  those  spies  take  him  out  of  this 
country.  If  they  don't — it  will  be  too  late.  I'm 
going  to  talk  to  dad  about  it,  and  if  he  agrees 
I'll  hire  the  best  private  detectives." 

Mr.  Swift  gave  his  consent  when  Tom  had  told 
the  story,  and,  a  day  later,  one  of  the  best  detec- 
tives of  a  well  known  agency  called  on  Tom  in 
Shopton  and  assumed  charge  of  the  case. 

The  early  reports  from  the  detective  were  quite 
reassuring.  He  got  on  the  trail  of  the  meo  who 
had  taken  Mr.  Petrofsky  away,  and  confirmed 
the  suspicion  that  they  were  agents  of  the  Rus- 
sian police.  He  trailed  them  as  far  as  New 
York,  and  there  the  clews  came  to  an  end. 

"Whether  they  are  in  the  big  city,  which 
might  easily  be,  or  in  some  of  the  nearby  towns, 
will  take  some  time  to  learn,"  the  detective  wrote, 
and  Tom  wired  back  telling  him  to  keep  on 
searching. 

But,  as  several  weeks  went  by,  and  no  word 
came,  even  Tom  began  to  give  up  hope,  though 
he  did  not  stop  work  on  the  air  glider,  which  was 
nearing  completion.  And  then,  most  unexpectedly 
a  clew  came — a  clew  from  far-off  Russia. 


50          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Tom  got  a  letter  one  day — a  letter  in  a  strange 
hand,  the  stamp  and  postmark  showing  that  it 
had  come  from  the  land  of  the  Czar. 

"What  do  you  suppose  it  contains?"  asked 
Ned,  who  was  with  his  chum  when  the  com- 
munication was  received. 

"Haven't  the  least  idea;  but  I'll  soon  find  out." 

"Maybe  it's  from  the  Russian  police,  telling 
you  to  keep  away  from  Siberia." 

"Maybe,"  answered  Tom  absently,  for  he  was 
reading  the  missive.  "I  say!"  he  suddenly  cried. 
"This  is  great!  A  clew  at  last,  and  from  St. 
Petersburg!  Listen  to  this,  Ned! 

"This  letter  is  from  the  head  of  one  of  the 
secret  societies  over  there,  a  society  that  works 
against  the  government.  It  says  that  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky  is  being  detained  a  prisoner  in  a  lonely  hut 
on  the  Atlantic  sea  coast,  not  far  from  New  York 
— Sandy  Hook  the  letter  says — and  here  are  the 
very  directions  how  to  get  there!" 

"No!"  cried  Ned,  in  disbelief.  "How  in  the 
world  could  anybody  in  Russia  know  that." 

"It  tells  here,"  said  Tom.  "It's  all  explained. 
As  soon  as  the  secret  police  got  Mr.  Petrofsky 
they  communicated  with  the  head  officials  in  St. 
Petersburg.  You  know  nearly  everyone  is  a  spy 
over  there,  and  the  letter  says  that  Mr.  Petrosky's 


A  CLEW  FROM  RUSSIA  51 

friends  there  soon  heard  the  news,  and  even  about 
the  exact  place  where  he  is  being  held." 

"What  are  they  holding  him  for?"  asked  Ned. 

"That's  explained,  too.  It  seems  they  can't 
legally  take  him  back  until  certain  papers  are 
received  from  his  former  prison  in  Siberia,  and' 
those  are  now  on  the  way.  His  friends  write  to 
me  to  hasten  and  rescue  him." 

"But  how  did  they  ever  get  your  address?" 

"That's  easy,  though  you  wouldn't  think  so. 
It  seems,  so  the  letter  explains,  that  as  soon  as 
Mr.  Petrofsky  got  acquainted  with  us  he  wrote 
to  friends  in  St.  Petersburg,  giving  my  address, 
and  telling  them,  in  case  anything  ever  happened 
to  him,  to  notify  us.  You  see  he  suspected  that 
something  might,  after  he  found  he  was  being 
shadowed  that  way. 

"And  it  all  worked  out.  As  soon  as  his  friends 
heard  that  he  was  caught,  and  learned  where  he 
was  being  held,  they  wrote  to  me.  Hurrah,  Ned ! 
A  clew  at  last!  Now  to  wire  the  detective — no, 
hold  on,  we'll  go  there  and  rescue  him  ourselves ! 
We'll  go  in  the  airship,  and  pick  up  Detective 
Trivett  in  New  York." 

"That's  the  stuff!    I'm  with  you!" 

"Bless  my,  suspender  buttons!  So  am  I,  what- 
ever it  is!"  cried  Mr.  Damon,  entering  the  room 
at  that  moment. 


CHAPTER  VI 

RESCUING  MR.   PETROFSKY 

"WE  OUGHT  to  be  somewhere  near  the  place 
now,  Tom." 

"I  think  we  are,  Ned.  But  you  know  I'm  not 
going  too  close  in  this  airship." 

"Bless  my  silk  hat!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Damon. 
"I  hope  we  don't  have  to  walk  very  far  in  such 
a  deserted  country  as  this,  Tom  Swift." 

"We'll  have  to  walk  a  little  way,  Mr.  Damon/" 
replied  the  young  inventor.  "If  I  go  too  close 
to  the  hut  they'll  see  the  airship,  and  as  those 
spies  probably  know  that  Mr.  Petrofsky  has 
been  dealing  with  me,  they'd  smell  a  rat  at  once, 
and  run  away,  taking  him  with  them,  and  we'd 
have  all  our  work  to  do  over  again." 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Detective  Trivett,  who 
was  one  of  the  four  in  the  airship  that  was  now 
hovering  over  the  Atlantic  coast,  about  ten  miles 
below  the  summer  resorts  of  which  Asbury  Park 
was  one. 

It  was  only  a  few  hours  after  Tom  had  re* 
52 


RESCUING  MR.  PETROFSKY  53 

ceived  the  letter  from  Russia  informing  him  of 
the  whereabouts  of  the  kidnapped  Russian,  and  he 
had  acted  at  once. 

His  father  sanctioned  the  plan  of  going  to  the 
rescue  in  one  of  Tom's  several  airships  and, 
Mr.  Damon,  having  been  on  hand,  at  once  agreed 
to  go.  Of  course  Ned  went  along,  and  they  had 
picked  up  the  private  detective  in  New  York, 
where  he  was  vainly  seeking  a  clew  to  the  where- 
abouts of  Mr.  Petrofsky. 

Now  the  young  inventor  and  his  friends  were 
hovering  over  the  sandy  stretch  of  coast  that  ex- 
tends from  Sandy  Hook  down  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board. They  were  looking  for  a  small  fishing 
hamlet  on  the  outskirts  of  which,  so  the  Rus« 
sian  letter  stated,  was  situated  the  lonely  hut  in 
which  Mr.  Petrofsky  was  held  a  prisoner. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  pick  it  out  from  a  dis- 
tance, Tom?"  asked  Mr.  Damon,  as  the  airship 
floated  slowly  along.  It  was  not  the  big  one 
they  intended  taking  on  their  trip  to  Siberia, 
but  it  was  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  the 
four  and  leave  room  for  Mr.  Petrofsky,  should 
they  succeed  in  rescuing  him. 

"I  think  so,"  answered  the  young  inventor. 

In  the  letter  from  Russia  a  comparatively  ac- 
curate description  of  the  prisoner's  hut  had  been 
given,  and  also  some  details  about  his  guards. 


54          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

For  there  is  little  goes  on  in  political  circles  in 
the  realm  of  the  Czar  that  is  not  known  either 
to  the  spies  of  the  government  or  those  of  the 
opposition,  and  the  latter  had  furnished  Tom 
with  reliable  information. 

"That  looks  like  the  place,"  said  Tom  at  length, 
when,  after  peering  steadily  through  a  powerful 
telescope,  during  which  time  Ned  steered  the 
ship,  the  young  inventor  "picked  up"  a  fishing 
settlement.  "There  is  the  big  fish  house,  spoken 
of  in  the  letter,"  he  went  on,  "and  the  Russians 
know  a  lot  about  fish.  That  house  makes  a  good 
landmark.  We'll  go  down  now,  before  they  have 
a  chance  to  see  us." 

The  others  thought  this  a  good  idea,  and  a 
little  later  the  airship  sank  to  the  ground  amid 
a  lonely  stretch  of  sand  dunes,  about  two  miles 
from  the  hamlet  on  the  outskirts  of  which  the 
prison  hut  was  said  to  be  located. 

"Now,"  said  Tom,  "we've  got  to  decide  on  a 
plan  of  campaign.  It  won't  do  for  all  of  us  to 
go  to  the  hut  and  make  the  rescue.  Some  one 
has  got  to  stay  with  the  airship,  to  be  ready  to 
start  it  off  as  soon  as  we  come  back  with  Mr. 
Petrofsky — if  we  do  come." 

"Then  there's  no  use  in  me  staying  here," 
spoke  Detective  Trivett.  "I  don't  know  enough 
even  to  turn  on  the  gasolene." 


RESCUING  MR.  PETROFSKY  55 

"No,  it's  got  to  be  Ned  or  me,"  said  the  young 
inventor. 

"I'll  stay,"  volunteered  Ned  quickly,  for 
though  he  would  very  much  have  liked  to  be  in 
at  the  rescue,  he  realized  that  his  place  was  in 
the  airship,  as  Mr.  Damon  was  not  sufficiently 
familiar  with  the  machinery  to  operate  it. 

Accordingly,  after  looking  to  everything  to 
see  that  it  was  in  working  order,  Tom  led  the 
advance.  It  was  just  getting  dusk,  and  they  fig- 
ured on  getting  to  the  hut  after  dark. 

"Have  everything  ready  for  a  quick  start," 
Tom  said  to  Ned,  "for  we  may  come  back  run- 
ning." 

"I  will,"  was  the  prompt  answer,  and  then, 
getting  their  bearings,  the  little  party  set  off. 

They  had  to  travel  over  a  stretch  of  sandy 
waste  that  ran  along  the  beach.  Back  in  shore 
were  a  few  scattered  cottages,  and  not  yet  opened 
for  the  summer,  and  on  the  ocean  side  was  the 
pounding  surf.  The  hut,  as  Tom  recalled  the 
directions,  lay  just  beyond  a  group  of  stunted 
hemlock  trees  that  set  a  little  way  back  from  the 
ocean,  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the  sea.  It  was 
not  near  any  other  building. 

Slowly,  and  avoiding  going  any  nearer  the 
other  houses  than  they  could  help,  the  little  party 
made  its  way.  They  had  to  depend  on  their  own 


56          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

judgment  now,  for  the  minor  details  of  the  lo- 
cation of  the  hut  could  not  be  given  in  the  letter 
from  Russia.  In  fact  the  spies  themselves,  in 
writing  to  their  head  officers  about  the  matter, 
had  not  described  the  location  in  detail. 

"That  looks  like  it  over  there,"  said  Tom  at 
last,  when  they  had  gone  about  a  mile  and  a  half, 
and  saw  a  lonely  hut  with  a  light  burning  in  it. 

Cautiously  they  approached  and,  as  they  drew 
nearer,  they  saw  that  the  light  came  through  the 
window  of  a  small  hut. 

"Looks  like  the  place,"  commented  the  detec^ 
tive. 

"We'll  have  a  look,"  remarked  Tom. 

He  crept  up  so  he  could  glance  in  the  window, 
and  no  sooner  had  he  peered  in,  than  he  motioned 
for  the  others  to  approach. 

Looking  under  a  partly-drawn  curtain,  Mr. 
Damon  and  Mr.  Trivett  saw  the  Russian  whom 
they  sought.  He  was  seated  at  a  table,  his  head 
bowed  on  his  hands,  and  in  the  room  were  three 
men.  A  rifle  stood  in  one  corner,  near  one  of  the 
guards. 

"They're  taking  no  chances,"  whispered  Mr.; 
Damon.  "What  shall  we  do,  Tom?" 

"It's  three  to  three,"  replied  the  young  inventor. 
"But  if  we  can  get  him  away  without  a  fight, 
so  much  the  better.  I  think  I  have  it.  I'll  go  up 


RESCUING  MR.  PETROFSKY  57 

to  the  door,  knock  and  make  quite  a  racket,  and 
demand  admittance  in  the  name  of  the  Czar. 
That  will  startle  them,  and  they  may  all  three  rush 
to  answer.  Mr.  Damon,  you  and  the  detective  will 
stay  by  the  window.  As  soon  as  you  see  the  men 
rush  for  the  door,  smash  in  the  window  with  a 
piece  of  driftwood  and  call  to  Mr.  Petrofsky  to 
jump  out  that  way.  Then  you  can  run  with  him 
toward  the  airship,  and  I'll  follow.  It  may 
work." 

"I  don't  see  why  it  wouldn't,"  declared  the 
detective.  "Go  ahead,  Tom.  We're  ready." 

Looking  in  once  more,  to  make  sure  that  the 
guards  were  not  aware  of  the  presence  of  the 
rescuing  party,  Tom  went  to  the  front  door  of 
the  hut.  It  was  a  small  building,  evidently  one 
used  by  fishermen. 

Tom  knocked  loudly  on  the  portal,  at  the  same 
time  crying  out  in  a  voice  that  he  strove  to  make 
as  deep  and  menacing  as  possible: 

"Open!    Open  in  the  name  of  the  Czar!" 

Looking  through  the  window,  ready  to  act  on 
the  instant,  Mr.  Damon  and  the  detective  saw  the 
three  guards  spring  to  their  feet.  One  remained 
near  Mr.  Petrofsky,  who  also  leaped  up. 

"Now!"  called  the  detective  to  his  companion. 
"Smash  the  window!" 

The    next    instant    a    big    piece    of    driftwood 


58          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

crashed  through  the  casement,  just  as  the  two 
men  were  hurrying  to  the  front  door  to  answer 
[Tom's  summons. 

"Mr.  Petrofsky !  This  way !"  yelled  Mr.  Dam- 
on, sticking  his  head  in  through  the  broken 
sash.  "Come  out!  We've  come  to  save  you! 
Bless  my  putty  blower,  but  this  is  great!  Come 
on!" 

For  a  moment  the  exile  stared  at  the  head 
thrust  through  the  broken  window,  and  he  lis- 
tened to  Tom's  emphatic  knocks  and  demands. 
Then  with  a  cry  of  delight  the  Russian  sprang 
for  the  open  casement,  while  the  guard  that  had 
remained  near  him  made  a  leap  to  catch  him, 
crying  out : 

"Betrayed!  Betrayed!  It's  the  Nihilists  I 
Look  out,  comrades!" 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    AIR    GLIDES 

MR.  DAMON  continued  to  hammer  away  at  the 
window  sash  with  the  piece  of  driftwood.  There 
were  splinters  of  the  frame  and  jagged  pieces  of 
glass  sticking  out,  making  it  dangerous  for  the 
exile  to  slip  through. 

"Come  on!  Come  on!"  the  eccentric  man  con- 
tinued to  call.  "Bless  my  safety  valve!  We'll 
save  you!  Come  on!" 

Mr.  Petrofsky  was  leaping  across  tke  room, 
just  ahead  of  the  one  guard.  The  other  two 
were  at  the  open  door  now,  through  which  Tom 
could  be  seen.  Then  the  spies,  realizing  in  an 
instant  that  they  had  been  deceived,  made  a  dash 
after  their  comrade,  who  had  his  hand  on  the 
tails  of  the  exile's  coat. 

"Break  away!  Break  loose!"  cried  Mr.  Dam- 
on,  who,  by  this  time  had  cleared  the  window  so 
a  person  could  get  through.  "Don't  let  them 
hold  you!" 

"I  don't  intend  to!"  retorted  Mr.  Petrofsky, 
II 


60          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

and  he  swerved  suddenly,  tearing  his  coat,  from 
the  grasp  of  the  guard. 

In  another  instant  the  exile  was  at  the  case- 
ment, and  was  being  helped  through  by  Mr. 
Damon,  and  there  was  need  of  it,  for  the  three 
guards  were  there  now,  doing  their  best  to  keep 
their  prisoner. 

"Pull  away!    Pull  away!"  cried  Mr.  Damon, 

"We'll  help  you!"  shouted  Tom,  who,  now 
that  his  trick  had  worked,  had  sped  around  to 
the  other  side  of  the  hut. 

"Don't  be  afraid,  we're  with  you!"  exclaimed 
the  detective,  who  was  with  the  young  inventor. 

"Grab  him!  Keep  him!  Hold  him!"  fairly 
screamed  the  rearmost  of  the  three  guards.  "It 
is  a  plot  of  the  Nihilists  to  rescue  him.  "Shoot 
him,  comrades.  He  must  not  get  away!" 

"Don't  you  try  any  of  your  shooting  games,  or 
I'll  take  a  hand  in  it!"  shouted  the  detective, 
and,  at  the  same  moment  he  drew  his  revolver 
and  fired  harmlesly  in  the  air. 

"A  bomb!  A  bomb!"  yelled  the  guards  in 
terror. 

"Not  yet,  but  there  may  be!"  murmured  Tom. 
The  firing  of  the  shot  produced  a  good  effect, 
for  the  three  men  who  were  trying  to  detain  Ivan 
Petrofsky  at  once  fell  back  from  the  window 
and  gave  him  just  the  chance  needed.  He 


THE  AIR  GLIDER  6l 

scrambled  through,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Damon, 
and  before  the  guards  could  again  spring  at  him, 
which  they  did  when  the  echoes  of  the  shot  had 
died  away.  They  had  realized,  too  late,  that  it  was 
not  a  bomb,  and  that  there  was  no  immediate 
danger  for  them. 

"Come  on!"  cried  Tom.  "Make  for  the  air- 
ship! We've  got  to  get  the  start  of  them!" 

Leading  the  way,  he  sprinted  toward  the  road 
that  led  to  the  place  where  the  airship  awaited 
them.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Damon  and  the 
detective,  who  had  Mr.  Petrofsky  between  them. 

"Are  you  all  right?"  Tom  called  back  to  the 
exile.  "  Are  you  hurt  ?  Can  you  run  ?  " 

"I'm  all  right,"  was  the  reassuring  answer. 
"Go  ahead;  but  they'll  be  right  after  us." 

"Maybe  they'll  stop  when  they  see  this,"  re- 
marked the  detective  significantly,  and  he  held 
his  revolver  so  that  the  rays  of  the  newly-risen 
moon  glinted  on  it. 

"Here  they  come!"  cried  Tom  a  moment  later, 
as  three  figures,  one  after  the  other,  came  around 
the  corner  of  the  house.  They  had  not  taken  the 
shorter  route  through  the  window,  as  had  Mr.  i 
Petrofsky,  and  this  gained  a  little  time  for  our 
friends. 

"Stop!  Hold  on!"  cried  one  of  the  guards  in 
fairly  good  English.  "Jhat  is  our  prisoner." 


62          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Not  any  more!"  the  young  inventor  yelled 
back.  "He's  ouisnow." 

"Look  out!  They're  going  to  shoot!"  cried 
Mr.  Damon.  "Bless  my  gunpowder!  can't  you 
stop  them  some  way  or  other,  Mr.  Detective?" 

"The  only  way  is  by  firing  first,"  answered 
Mr.  Trivett,  "and  I  don't  want  to  hurt  them. 
Guess  I'll  fire  in  the  air  again." 

He  did,  and  the  guards  halted.  They  seemed 
to  be  holding  a  consultation,  as  Tom  learned  by 
glancing  hastily  back,  and  he  caught  the  glisten 
of  some  weapon.  But  if  the  three  men  had  any 
notion  of  firing  they  gave  it  up,  and  once  more 
came  on  running.  Doubtless  they  had  orders  to 
get  their  prisoner  back  to  Russia  alive,  and  did  not 
want  to  take  any  chances  of  hitting  him. 

"Leg  it!"  cried  Tom.     "Leg  it!" 

He  was  well  ahead,  and  wanted  the  others  to 
catch  up  to  him,  but  none  of  the  men  was  a 
good  runner,  and  Mr.  Petrofsky,  by  reason  of 
being  rather  heavily  built,  was  worse  than  the 
other  two,  so  they  had  to  accommodate  their  pace 
to  his. 

"I  wonder  if  we  can  make  it,"  mused  Tom,  as 
he  realized  that  the  airship  was  a  good  distance 
off  yet.  "Jhe  guards,  though  quite  a  way  in  the 
rear  now,  were  coming  on  fast.  "It's  going  to 
be  a  close  race,"  thought  the  young  inventor. 


THE  AIR  GLIDER  63 

"I  wish  we'd  brought  the  airship  a  little  nearer. " 

It  was  indeed  a  race  now,  for  the  guards, 
seeming  to  know  that  they  would  not  be  shot  at, 
were  coming  on  more  confidently,  and  were  rap- 
idly lessening  the  distance  that  separated  them 
from  their  recent  prisoner. 

"We've  got  to  go  faster!"  cried  Tom. 

"Bless  my  shoe  leather!"  yelled  Mr.  Damon. 
"I  can't  go  any  faster." 

Still  he  did  make  the  attempt,  and  so  did  the 
exile  and  the  detective.  Little  was  said  now,  for 
each  of  the  parties  was  running  a  dogged  race, 
and  in  silence.  They  had  gone  possibly  half  a 
mile,  and  the  first  advantage  of  Tom  and  his 
friends  was  rapidly  being  lost,  when  suddenly 
there  sounded  in  the  air  above  a  curious  throbbing 
noise. 

"Bless  my  gasolene!  What's  that?"  cried  Mr. 
Damon. 

"The  airship!  It's  the  airship!"  yelled  Tom, 
as  he  saw  a  great  dark  shape  slowly  approaching. 
"Ned  is  bringing  her  to  met  us." 

"Good!"  cried  the  detective.  "We  need  it 
I'm  about  winded!" 

"This  way,  Ned!  This  way!"  cried  Tom, 
and,  an  instant  later,  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
a  brilliant  glow,  for  Ned  had  turned  the  current 
into  the  great  searchlight  on  the  bow  of  the  air 


'64          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

craft,  and  the  beams  were  focused  on  our  friends. 
Ned  could  now  see  the  refugees,  and  in  a  moment 
he  sent  the  graceful  craft  down,  bringing  it  to  a 
bait  on  the  ground  near  Tom. 

"In  with  you!"  cried  the  lad.  "She's  all  ready 
to  start  up  again!" 

"Come  on!"  yelled  Tom  to  the  others. 
"We're  all  right  now,  if  you  hustle!" 

"Bless  my  pin  cushion!"  gasped  Mr.  Damon, 
making  a  final  spurt. 

The  three  guards  had  halted  in  confusion  on 
seeing  the  big,  black  bulk  of  the  airship,  and 
when  they  noted  the  gleaming  of  the  searchlight 
they  must  have  realized  that  their  chances  were 
gone.  They  made  a  rush,  however,  but  it  was 
too  late.  Over  the  side  of  the  craft  scrambled 
rrom,  Mr.  Damon,  the  detective  and  Ivan  Pet- 
rofsky,  and  an  instant  later  Ned  had  sent  it 
aloft.  The  race  was  over,  and  the  young  invent- 
or and  his  friends  had  won. 

"You're  the  stuff!"  cried  Tom  to  Ned,  as  he 
went  with  his  chum  to  the  pilot  house  to  direct 
the  progress  of  the  airship.  "It's  lucky  you 
came  for  us.  We  never  could  have  made  the 
distance.  We  left  the  ship  too  far  off." 

"That's  what  I  thought  after  you'd  gone," 
replied  his  chum.  "So  I  decided  to  come  and  meet 


THE  AIR  GLIDER  65 

you.  I  had  to  go  slowly  so  as  not  to  pass  you  in 
the  darkness." 

They  were  speeding  off  now,  and  Ned,  turn- 
ing the  beams  of  the  great  searchlight  below 
them,  picked  up  the  three  guards  who  were  gaz- 
ing helplessly  aloft  after  their  fast  disappearing 
prisoner. 

"You're  having  your  first  ride  in  an  airship, 
Mr.  Petrofsky,"  remarked  Tom,  when  they  had 
gone  on  for  some  little  distance.  "How  do  you 
like  it?" 

"I'm  so  excited  I  hardly  know,  but  it's  quite  a 
sensation.  But  how  in  the  world  did  you  ever 
find  me  to  rescue  me?" 

Then  they  told  the  story  of  their  search,  and 
the  unexpected  clew  from  Russia.  In  turn  the 
exile  told  how  he  had  been  attacked  at  the  break- 
fast table  one  morning  by  the  three  spies — the 
very  men  who  had  been  shadowing  him — and 
taken  away  secretly,  being  drugged  to  prevent  his 
calling  for  help.  He  had  been  kept  a  close  pris- 
oner in  the  lonely  hut,  and  each  day  he  had  ex- 
pected to  be  taken  back  to  serve  out  his  sentence 
in  Siberia. 

"Another  day  would  have  been  too  late,"  he 
told  Tom,  when  he  had  thanked  the  young  in- 
ventor over  and  over  again,  "for  the  papers 
would  have  arrived,  and  the  last  obstacle  to  tak- 


66          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

ing  me  back  to  Russia  would  have  been  removed. 
They  dared  not  take  me  out  of  the  United  States 
without  official  documents,  and  they  would  have 
been  forged  ones,  for  they  intended  trumping  up 
a  criminal  charge  against  me,  the  political  one  not 
being  strong  enough  to  allow  them  to  extradite 


me." 


"Well  I'm  glad  we  got  you,"  said  Tom  heart- 
ily. "We  will  soon  be  ready  to  start  for  Siberia." 

"In  this  kind  of  a  craft?" 

"Yes,  only  much  larger.  You'll  like  it.  I 
only  hope  my  air  glider  works." 

By  putting  on  speed,  Tom  was  able  to  reach 
Shopton  before  midnight,  and  there  was  quite 
an  informal  celebration  in  the  Swift  homestead 
over  the  rescue  of  the  exile.  The  detective,  for 
whom  there  was  no  further  need,  was  paid  off, 
and  Mr.  Petrofsky  was  made  a  member  of  the 
household. 

"You'd  better  stay  here  until  we  are  ready  to 
start,"  Tom  said,  "and  then  we  can  keep  an  eye 
on  you.  We  need  you  to  show  us  as  nearly  as 
possible  where  the  platinum  field  is." 

"All  right,"  agreed  the  Russian  with  a  laugh. 
"I'm  sure  I'll  do  all  I  can  for  you,  and  you  are 
certainly  treating  me  very  nicely  after  what  I 
suffered  from  my  captors." 

Tom  resumed  work  on  his  air  glider  the  next 


THE  AIR  GLIDER  67 

day,  and  he  had  an  additional  helper,  for  Mr. 
Petrofsky  proved  to  be  a  good  mechanic. 

In  brief,  the  air  glider  was  like  an  aeroplane 
save  that  it  had  no  motor.  It  was  raised  by  a 
strong  wind  blowing  against  transverse  planes, 
and  once  aloft  was  held  there  by  the  force  of  the 
air  currents,  just  like  a  box  kite  is  kept  up.  To 
make  it  progress  either  with  or  against  the  wind, 
there  were  horizontal  and  vertical  rudders,  and 
sliding  weights,  by  which  the  equilibrium  could 
be  shifted  so  as  to  raise  or  lower  it.  While  it 
could  not  exactly  move  directly  against  the  wind 
it  could  progress  in  a  direction  contrary  to  which 
the  gale  was  blowing,  somewhat  as  a  sailing 
ship  "tacks." 

And,  as  has  been  explained,  the  harder  the 
wind  blew  the  better  the  air  glider  worked.  In 
fact  unless  there  was  a  strong  gale  it  would  not 
go  up. 

"But  it  will  be  just  what  is  needed  out  there 
in  that  part  of  Siberia,"  declared  the  exile,  "for 
there  the  wind  is  never  quiet.  Often  it  blows  a 
regular  hurricane." 

"That's  what  we  want!"  cried  Tom.  He 
had  made  several  models  of  the  air  glider,  chang- 
ing them  as  he  found  out  his  errors,  and  at  last 
he  had  hit  on  the  right  shape  and  size. 

Midway  of  the  big  glider,  on  which  work  was 


68          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

now  well  started,  there  was  to  be  an  enclosed  car 
for  the  carrying  of  passengers,  their  food  and 
supplies.  Tom  figured  on  carrying  five  or  six. 

For  several  weeks  the  work  on  the  air  glider 
progressed  rapidly,  and  it  was  nearing  com- 
pletion. Meanwhile  nothing  more  had  been 
heard  or  seen  of  the  Russian  spies. 

"Well,"  announced  Tom  one  night,  after  a 
day's  hard  work,  "we'll  be  ready  for  a  trial  now, 
just  as  soon  as  there  comes  a  good  wind." 

"Is  it  all  finished?"  asked  Ned. 

"No,  but  enough  for  a  trial  spin.  What  I 
Want  is  a  big  wind  now." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN   A   GREAT   GALE 

THERE  was  a  humming  in  the  air.  The  tele- 
graph wires  that  ran  along  on  high  poles  past 
the  house  of  Tom  Swift  sang  a  song  like  that  of 
an  Aeolian  harp.  The  very  house  seemed  to 
tremble. 

"Jove!  This  is  a  wind!"  cried  Tom  as  he 
awakened  on  a  morning  a  few  days  after  his  air 
glider  was  nearly  completed.  "I  never  saw  it 
so  strong.  This  ought  to  be  just  what  I  want. 
I  must  telephone  to  Mr.  Damon  and  to  Ned." 

He  hustled  into  his  clothes,  pausing  now  and 
then  to  look  out  of  his  window  and  note  the 
effects  of  the  gale.  It  was  a  tremendous  wind, 
as  was  evidenced  by  the  limbs  of  several  trees 
being  broken  off,  while  in  some  cases  frail  trees 
themselves  had  been  snapped  in  twain. 

"Coffee  ready,  Mrs.  Baggert?"  asked  our  hero 
as  he  went  downstairs.  "I  haven't  got  time  to 
eat  muchjthough." 

In  spite  of  his  haste  Tom  ate  a  good  break- 
6g 


70          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

fast  and  then,  having  telephoned  to  his  two 
friends,  and  receiving  their  promises  to  come 
right  over,  our  hero  went  out  to  make  a  few 
adjustments  to  his  air  glider,  to  get  it  in  shape 
for  the  trial. 

He  was  a  little  worried  lest  the  wind  die  out, 
but  when  he  got  outside  he  noted  with  satis- 
faction that  the  gale  was  stronger  than  at  first. 
In  fact  it  did  considerable  damage  in  Shopton, 
as  Tom  learned  later. 

It  certainly  was  a  strong  wind.  An  ordinary 
aeroplane  never  could  have  sailed  in  it,  and  Tom 
was  doubtful  of  the  ability  of  even  his  big  air- 
ship to  navigate  in  it.  But  he  was  not  going  to 
try  that. 

"And  maybe  my  air  glider  won't  work,"  he 
remarked  to  himself  as  he  was  on  his  way  to  the 
shed  where  it  had  been  constructed.  "The  models 
went  up  all  right,  but  maybe  the  big  one  isn't  pro- 
portioned right.  However,  I'll  soon  see." 

He  was  busy  adjusting  the  balancing  weights 
when  Ned  Newton  came  in. 

"Great  Scott!"  exclaimed  the  lad,  as  he 
labored  to  close  the  shed  door,  "this  is  a  blow  all 
right,  Tom!  Do  you  think  it's  safe  to  go  up?" 

"I  can't  go  up  without  a  gale,  Ned." 

"Well,  I'd  think  twice  about  it  myself." 

"Why,  I  counted  on  you  going  up  with  me." 


IN  A  GREAT  GALE  71 

"Burr-r-r-r!"  and  Ned  pretended  to  shiver. 
"I  haven't  an  accident  insurance  policy  ^  you 
know." 

"You  won't  need  it,  Ned.  If  we  get  up  at  all 
we'll  be  all  right.  Catch  hold  there,  and  shift 
that  rear  weight  a  little  forward  on  the  rod.  I 
expect  Mr.  Damon  soon." 

The  eccentric  man  came  in  a  little  later,  just 
as  Tom  and  Ned  had  finished  adjusting  the 
mechanism. 

"Bless  my  socks!"  cried  Mr.  Damon.  "Do 
you  really  mean  to  go  up  to-day,  Tom?" 

"I  sure  do!  Why,  aren't  you  going  with  me?" 
and  Tom  winked  at  Ned. 

"Bless  my "  began  Mr.  Damon,  and  then, 

evidently  realizing  that  he  was  being  tested  he 
exclaimed:  "Well,  I  will  go,  Tom!  If  the  air 
glider  is  any  good  it  ought  to  hold  me.  I  will 
go  up." 

"Now,  Ned,  how  about  you?"  asked  the  young 
inventor. 

"Well,  I  guess  it's  up  to  me  to  come  along. 
But  I  sure  do  wish  it  was  over  with,"  and  Ned 
glanced  out  of  the  window  to  see  if  the  gale  was 
dying  out.  But  the  wind  was  as  high  as  ever. 

It  was  hard  work  getting  the  air  glider  out  of 
the  shed,  and  in  position  on  top  of  a  hill,  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  for  Tom  intended 


72  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"taking  off"  from  the  mound,  as  he  could  not 
get  a  running  start  without  a  motor.  The  wind, 
however,  he  hoped,  would  raise  him  and  the 
strange  craft. 

In  order  to  get  it  over  the  ground  without, 
having  it  capsize,  or  elevate  before  they  were 
ready  for  it,  drag  ropes,  attached  to  bags  of  sand 
were  used,  and  once  these  were  attached  the  four 
found  that  they  could  not  wheel  the  air  glider 
along  on  its  bicycle  wheels. 

"We'll  have  to  get  Eradicate  and  his  mule,  I 
guess,"  said  Tom,  after  a  vain  endeavor  to  make 
progress  against  the  wind.  "When  it's  up  in  the 
air  it  will  be  all  right,  but  until  then  I'll  need 
help  to  move  it.  Ned,  call  Rad,  will  you?" 

The  colored  man,  with  Boomerang,  his  faith-* 
ful  mule,  was  soon  on  hand.  The  animal  was 
hitched  to  the  glider,  and  pulled  it  toward  the  hilL 

"Now  to  see  what  happens,"  remarked  Torrv 
as  he  wheeled  his  latest  invention  around  where 
the  wind  would  take  it  as  soon  as  the  restrain-* 
ing  ropes  were  cast  off,  for  it  was  now  held  in 
place  by  several  heavy  cables  fastened  to  stakes 
driven  in  the  ground. 

Tom  gave  a  last  careful  look  to  the  weights, 
planes  and  rudders.  He  glanced  at  a  small  ane- 
mometer or  wind  gage,  on  the  craft,  and  noted 
that  it  registered  sixty  miles  an  hour. 


IN  A  GREAT  GALE  73 

"That  ought  to  do,"  he  remarked.  "Now 
who's  going  up  with  me?  Will  you  take  a 
chance,  Mr.  Petrofsky?" 

"I'd  rather  not— at  first." 

"Come  on  then,  Ned  and  Mr.  Damon.  Mr, 
Petrofsky  and  Rad  can  cast  off  the  ropes." 

The  wind,  if  anything,  was  stronger  than  ever. 
It  was  a  terrific  gale,  and  just  what  was  needed. 
But  how  would  the  air  glider  act?  That  was 
what  Tom  wanted  very  much  to  know. 

"Cast  off!"  he  cried  to  the  Russian  and  Eradi- 
cate, and  they  slipped  the  ropes. 

The  next  moment,  with  a  rush  and  whizzing 
roar,  the  air  glider  shot  aloft  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  SPIES 

"WE'RE  certainly  going  up!"  yelled  Ned,  as  he 
sat  beside  Tom  in  the  cabin  of  the  air  glider. 

"That's  right!"  agreed  the  young  inventor 
rather  proudly,  as  he  grasped  two  levers,  one  of 
which  steered  the  craft,  the  other  being  used  to 
shift  the  weights.  "We're  going  up.  I  was 
pretty  sure  of  that.  The  next  thing  is  to  see  if 
it  will  remain  stationary  in  the  air,  and  answer 
the  rudder." 

"Bless  my  top  knot!"  cried  Mr.  Damon.  "You 
don't  mean  to  tell  me  you  can  stand  still  in  a  gale 
of  wind,  Tom  Swift." 

"That's  exactly  what  I  do  mean.  You  can't 
do  it  in  an  aeroplane,  for  that  depends  on  motion 
to  keep  itself  up  in  the  air.  But  the  glider  is  dif- 
ferent. That's  one  of  its  specialties,  remaining, 
still,  and  that's  why  it  will  be  valuable  if  we  ever 
get  to  Siberia.  We  can  hover  over  a  certain  spot 
in  a  gale  of  wind,  and  search  about  below  with 
telescopes  for  a  sign  of  the  lost  platinum  mine." 

74 


THE  SPIES  75 

"How  high  are  you  going  up?"  demanded 
Ned,  for  the  air  glider  was  still  mounting  up- 
ward on  a  slant.  If  you  ever  scaled  a  flat  piece 
of  tin,  or  a  stone,  you'll  remember  how  it  seems 
to  slide  up  a  hill  of  air,  when  it  was  thrown  at 
the  right  angle.  It  was  just  this  way  with  the 
air  glider — it  was  mounting  upward  on  a  slant. 

"I'm  going  up  a  couple  of  hundred  feet  at 
least,"  answered  Tom,  "and  higher  if  the  gale- 
strata  is  there.  I  want  to  give  it  a  good  test) 
while  I'm  at  it." 

Ned  looked  down  through  a  heavy  plate  of 
glass  in  the  floor  of  the  cabin,  and  could  see  Mr. 
Petrofsky  and  Eradicate  looking  up  at  them. 

"Bless  my  handkerchief!"  cried  Mr.  Damon, 
when  his  attention  had  been  called  to  this.  "It's 
just  like  an  airship." 

"Except  that  we  haven't  a  bit  of  machinery 
on  board,"  said  Tom.  "These  weights  do  every- 
thing," and  he  shifted  them  forward  on  the  slid- 
ing rods,  with  the  effect  that  the  air  glider  dipped 
down  with  a  startling  lurch. 

"We're  falling!"  cried  Ned. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Tom.  "I  only 
showed  you  how  it  worked.  By  sliding  the 
weights  back  we  go  up." 

He  demonstrated  this  at  once,  sending  his 
craft  sliding  up  another  hill  of  air,  until  it  reached 


76          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

an  elevation  of  four  hundred  feet,  as  evidenced 
by  the  barograph. 

"I  guess  this  is  high  enough,"  remarked  Tom 
after  a  bit.  "Now  to  see  if  she'll  stand  still." 

Slowly  he  moved  the  weights  along,  by  means 
of  the  compound  levers,  until  the  air  glider  was 
on  an  "even  keel"  so  to  speak.  It  was  still  mov- 
ing forward,  with  the  wind  now,  for  Tom  had 
warped  his  wing  tips. 

"The  thing  to  do,"  said  the  young  inventor, 
"is  to  get  it  exactly  parallel  with  the  wind-strata, 
so  that  the  gale  will  blow  through  the  two  sets  of 
planes,  just  as  the  wind  blows  through  a  box 
kite.  Only  we  have  no  string  to  hold  us  from 
moving.  We  have  to  depend  on  the  equalization 
of  friction  on  the  surfaces  of  the  wings.  I  won- 
der if  I  can  do  it." 

It  was  a  delicate  operation,  and  Tom  had  not 
had  much  experience  in  that  sort  of  thing,  for 
his  other  airships  and  aeroplanes  worked  on  an 
entirely  different  principle.  But  he  moved  the 
weights  along,  inch  by  inch,  and  flexed  the  tips, 
planes  and  rudders  until  finally  Ned,  who  was 
looking  down  through  the  floor  window,  cried 
out 

"We're  stationary!" 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Tom.  "Then  it's  a  suc- 
cess/' 


THE  SPIES 


77 


"And  we  can  go  to  Siberia?"  added  Mr. 
Damon. 

"Sure,"  assented  the  young  inventor.  "And  if 
we  have  luck  we'll  rescue  Mr.  Petrofsky's 
brother,  and  get  a  lot  of  platinum  that  will  be 
more  valuable  than  gold." 

It  would  not  be  true  to  say  that  the  air  glider 
was  absolutely  stationary.  There  was  a  slight 
forward  motion,  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  not 
yet  perfected,  and  also  because  Tom  was  not 
expert  enough  in  handling  it. 

The  friction  on  the  plane  surfaces  was  not 
equalized,  and  the  gale  forced  the  craft  along 
slightly.  But,  compared  to  the  terrific  power  of 
the  wind,  the  air  glider  was  practically  at  a  stand- 
still, and  this  was  remarkable  when  one  considers 
the  force  of  the  hurricane  that  was  blowing  above, 
below  and  through  it. 

For  actually  that  was  what  the  hurricane  was 
doing.  It  was  as  if  an  immense  box  kite  was 
suspended  in  the  air,  without  a  string  to  hold  it 
from  moving,  and  as  though  a  cabin  was  placed 
amidships  to  hold  human  beings. 

"This  sure  is  great!"  cried  Ned.  "Have  you 
got  her  in  control,  Tom?" 

"I  think  so.    I'll  try  and  see  how  she  works." 

By  shifting  the  weights,  changing  the  balance, 
and  warping  the  wings,  the  young  inventor  sent 


78          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  craft  higher  up,  made  it  dip  down  almost  to 
the  earth,  and  then  swoop  upward  like  some  great 
bird.  Then  he  turned  it  completely  about  and 
though  he  developed  no  great  speed  in  this  test 
made  it  progress  quarteringly  against  the  wind, 

"It's  almost  perfect,"  declared  Tom.  "A  few 
touches  and  she'll  be  all  right." 

"Is  it  all  right?"  asked  Ivan  Petrofsky  anx- 
iously, as  the  three  left  the  cabin,  and  Eradicate 
hitched  his  mule  to  the  glider  to  take  it  back  to 
the  shed. 

"I  see  where  it  can  be  improved,"  he  said,  as 
they  made  ready  to  descend.  "I'll  soon  have  it 
in  shape." 

"Then  we  can  go  to  Siberia?" 

"In  less  than  a  month.  The  big  airship  needs 
some  repairs,  and  then  we'll  be  off." 

The  Russian  said  nothing,  but  he  looked  his 
thanks  to  Tom,  and  the  manner  in  which  he 
grasped  the  hand  of  our  hero  showed  his  deep 
feelings. 

The  glider  was  given  several  more  trials,  and 
each  time  it  worked  better.  Tom  decided  to 
change  some  of  the  weights,  and  he  devoted  all 
his  time  to  this  alteration,  while  Ned,  Mr. 
Damon,  and  the  others  labored  to  get  the  l)ig 
airship  in  shape  for  the  long  trip  to  the  land  of 
the  exiles. 


THE  SPIES  79 

So  anxious  was  Tom  to  get  started,  that  he 
put  in  several  nights  working  on  the  glider.  Ned 
occasionally  came  over  to  help  him,  while  Mr. 
Damon  was  on  hand  as  often  as  his  wife  would 
allow  him.  Mr.  Petrofsky  spent  his  nights  writ- 
ing to  friends  in  Russia,  hoping  to  get  some  clew 
as  to  the  whereabouts  of  his  brother. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  nights,  when  Tom  and 
Ned  were  laboring  hard,  with  Eradicate  to  help 
them,  that  an  incident  occurred  which  worried 
them  all  not  a  little.  Tom  was  adjusting  some 
of  the  "new  weights  on  the  sliding  rods,  and 
called  to  Ned: 

"I  say,  old  man,  hand  me  that  big  monkey 
wrench,  will  you.  I  can't  loosen  this  nut  with  the 
small  one.  You'll  find  it  on  the  bench  by  that 
back  window." 

As  Ned  went  to  get  the  tool  he  looked  from 
the  casement.  He  started,  stood  staring  through 
the  glass  for  a  moment  into  the  outer  darkness, 
and  then  cried  out: 

"Torn,  we're  being  watched!  There  are  some 
spies  outside!" 

"What?"  exclaimed  the  young  inventor 
"Where  are  they?  Who  are  they?" 

"I  don't  know.  Those  Russian  police,  maybe. 
Out  front,  and  maybe  we  can  catch  them!" 

Grabbing  up  the   big  monkey   wrench,   Ned 


8o          TOM  SWIFT  AND  PI  IS  AIR  GLIDER 

made  a  dash  for  the  large  sliding  doors,  followed 
by  Tom  who  had  an  iron  bar,  and  Eradicate  with 
a  small  pair  of  pliers. 

"By  golly!"  cried  the  colored  man,  "ef  I  gits 
'em  I'll  pinch  dere  noses  off!" 


CHAPTER  X 

OFF  IN   THE  AIRSHIP 

GOING  from  the  brightly  lighted  shop  into  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  illuminated  as  it  was  only 
by  the  stars,  neither  Tom,  Ned,  nor  Eradicate, 
could  see  anything  at  first.  They  had  to  stand 
still  for  a  moment  to  accustom  their  eyes  to  the 
gloom. 

"Can  you  see  them?"  cried  Tom  to  his  chum. 

"No,  but  I  can  hear  them!  Over  this  way!" 
yelled  Ned,  and  then,  being  able  to  dimly  make 
out  objects,  so  he  would  not  run  into  them,  he 
started  off,  followed  by  the  young  inventor. 

Tom  could  hear  several  persons  running  away 
now,  but  he  could  see  no  one,  and  from  the  sound 
he  judged  that  the  spies,  if  such  they  were,  were 
hurrying  across  the  fields  that  surrounded  the 
shop. 

It  was  almost  a  hopeless  task  to  pursue  them, 
but  the  two  lads  were  not  the  kind  that  give  up. 
They  rushed  forward,  hoping  to  be  able  to  grap- 
ple with  those  who  had  looked  in  the  shop  win- 
dow, but  it  was  not  to  be. 

81 


82          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

The  sound  of  the  retreating  footsteps  became 
more  and  more  faint,  until  finally  they  gave  no 
clew  to  follow. 

"Better  stop,"  advised  Tom.  "No  telling  where 
we'll  end  up  if  we  keep  on  running.  Besides  it 
might  be  dangerous." 

"Dangerous;  how?"  panted  Ned. 

"They  might  dodge  around,  and  wait  for  us 
behind  some  tree  or  bush." 

"An'  ef  dat  Foger  feller  am  around  he  jest  as 
soon  as  not  fetch  one  ob  us  a  whack  in  de  head," 
commented  Eradicate  grimly. 

"Guess   you're   about   right,"   admitted   Ned. 
"There  isn't  much  use  keeping  on.     We'll  go 
back." 

"What  sort  of  fellows  were  they?"  asked  Tom, 
when,  after  a  little  further  search,  the  hunt  was 
given  up.  "Could  you  see  them  well,  Ned?" 

"Not  very  good.  Just  as  I  went  to  get  you  that 
wrench  I  noticed  two  faces  looking  in  the  win- 
dow. I  must  have  taken  them  by  surprise,  for 
they  dodged  down  in  an  instant.  Then  I  yelled, 
and  they  ran  off." 

"Did  you  see  Andy  Foger?" 

"No,  I  didn't  notice  him." 

"Was  either  of  them  one  of  the  spies  who  had 
Mr.  Petrofsky  in  the  hut?" 


OFF  IN  THE  AIRSHIP  83 

"I  didn't  see  those  fellows  very  well,  you  re- 
member, so  I  couldn't  say." 

"That's  so,  but  I'll  bet  that's  who  they  were." 

"What  do  you  think  they're  after,  Tom?" 

"One  of  two  things.  They  either  want  to  get 
our  Russian  friend  into  their  clutches  again,  or 
they're  after  me — to  try  to  stop  me  from  going 
to  Siberia." 

"Do  you  think  they'd  go  to  such  length  as 
that?" 

"I'm  almost  sure  they  would.  Those  Russian 
police  are  wrong,  of  course,  but  they  think  Mr. 
Petrofsky  is  an  Anarchist  or  something  like  that, 
and  they  think  they're  justified  in  doing  any- 
thing to  get  him  back  to  the  Siberian  mines. 
And  once  the  Russian  government  sets  out  to  do 
a  thing  it  generally  does  it — I'll  give  'em  credit 
for  that." 

"But  how  do  you  suppose  they  know  you're 
going  to  Russia?" 

"Say,  those  fellows  have  ways  of  getting  in- 
<'formation  you  and  I  would  never  dream  of. 
Why,  didn't  you  read  the  other  day  how  some 
fellow  who  was  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  worst 
Anarchists  ever,  high  up  in  making  bombs,  plot- 
ting, and  all  that  sort  of  thing — turned  out  to  be 
a  police  spy?  They  get  their  information  that 
;way<,  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  but  what  some  of 


84  TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  very  people  whom  Mr.  Petrofsky  thinks  are 
his  friends  are  spies,  and  they  send  word  to  head- 
quarters of  every  move  he  makes." 

"Why  don't  you  warn  him?" 

"He  knows  it  as  well  as  I  do.  The  trouble  is 
you  can't  tell  who  the  spies  are  toatil  it's  too  late. 
I'm  glad  I'm  not  mixed  up  in  that  sort  of  thing. 
If  I  can  get  to  Siberia,  help  Mr.  Petrofsky  rescue 
his  brother,  and  get  hold  of  some  of  that  platinum 
I'll  be  satisfied.  Then  I  won't  go  back  to  the  land 
of  the  Czar,  once  I  get  away  from  there." 

"That's  right.  Well,  let's  go  back  and  work 
on  the  glider." 

"And  we'll  have  Eradicate  patroling  about  the 
shop  to  make  sure  we're  not  spied  on  again." 

"By  golly!  Ef  I  sees  any  ob  'em,  I  suah  will 
pinch  'em!"  cried  the  colored  man,  as  he  clicked 
the  pliers. 

But  there  was  no  further  disturbance  that 
Bight,  and,  when  Tom  and  Ned  ceased  work,  they 
had  made  good  progress  toward  finishing  the  air 
glider. 

The  big  airship  was  almost  ready  to  be  given 
a  trial  flight,  with  her  motors  tuned  up  to  give 
more  power,  and  as  soon  as  the  Russian  exile 
had  a  little  more  definite  information  as  to  the 
possible  whereabouts  of  his  brother,  they  could 
start. 


OFF  IN  THE  AIRSHIP  85 

In  the  days  that  followed  Tom  and  his  friends 
worked  hard.  The  air  glider  was  made  as  nearly 
perfect  as  any  machine  is,  and  in  a  fairly  stiff 
gale,  that  blew  up  about  a  week  later,  Tom  did 
some  things  in  it  that  made  his  friends  open  their 
eyes.  The  young  inventor  had  it  under  nearly 
as  good  control  as  he  had  his  dirigible  balloons  or 
aeroplanes. 

The  big  airship,  too,  was  made  ready  for  the 
long  voyage,  extra  large  storage  tanks  for  gaso- 
lene being  built  in,  as  it  was  doubtful  if  they  could 
get  a  supply  in  Siberia  without  arranging  for  it 
in  advance,  and  this  they  did  not  want  to  do. 
Besides  there  was  the  long  ocean  flight  to  pro- 
vide for.  ^ 

"But  if  worsjf  comes  to  worst  I  can  burn  kero- 
sene in  my  motor,"  Tom  explained,  for  he  had 
perfected  an  attachment  to  this  end.  "You  can 
get  kerosene  almost  anywhere  in  Russia." 

At  last  word  was  received  from  Russia,  from 
some  Revolutionist  friends  of  the  exile,  stating 
that  his  brother  was  supposed  to  be  working  in 
a  certain  sulphur  mine  north  of  the  lablonnoi 
mountains,  and  half  way  between  that  range  and 
the  city  of  lakutsk. 

"But  it  might  be  a  salt  mine,  just  as  well," 
said  Mr.  Petrofsky,  when  he  told  the  boys  the 


86          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

news.  "Information  about  the  poor  exiles  is 
hard  to  get." 

"Well,  we'll  take  a  chance!"  cried  Tom  deter- 
minedly. 

The  preparations  went  on,  and  by  strict  watch- 
fulness none  of  the  spies  secured  admission  to 
the  shop  where  the  air  glider  was  being  finished. 
The  big  airship  was  gotten  in  shape  for  the  voy- 
age, and  then,  after  a  final  trial  of  the  glider,  it 
was  taken  apart  and  put  aboard  the  Falcon,  ready 
for  use  on  the  gale-swept  plains  of  Siberia. 

The  last  of  the  stores,  provisions  and  supplies 
were  put  in  the  big  car  of  the  airship,  a  route  had 
been  carefully  mapped  out,  and  Tom,  after  say- 
ing good-bye  to  Mary  Nestor,  his  father,  the 
housekeeper,  and  Eradicate,  took  his  place  in  the 
pilot  house  of  the  airship  one  pleasant  morning 
at  the  beginning  of  Summer. 

"Don't  you  wish  you  were  going,  Rad?"  the 
young  inventor  asked,  for  the  colored  man  had 
decided  to  stay  at  home. 

"No  indeedy,  Massa  Tom,"  was  the  answer. 
"Dat's  a  mighty  cold  country  in  Shebeara,  an* 
I  laik  warm  wedder." 

"Well,  take  care  of  yourself  and  Boomerang," 
answered  Tom  with  a  laugh.  Then  he  pulled  the 
lever  that  sent  a  supply  of  gas  into  the  big  bag, 
and  the  ship  began  to  rise. 


OFF  IN  THE  AIRSHIP  87 

"I  guess  we've  given  those  spies  the  slip," 
remarked  Ned,  as  they  rose  from  the  ground 
calling  good-byes  to  the  friends  they  left  behind. 

"I  hope  so,"  agreed  Tom,  but  could  he  have 
seen  two  men1,  of  sinister  looks,  peering  at  the 
slowly-moving  airship  from  the  shelter  of  a  grove 
of  trees,  not  far  off,  he  might  have  changed  his 
opinion,  and  so  would  Ned. 

Then,  as  the  airship  gathered  momentum,  it 
fairly  sprang  into  the  air,  and  a  moment  later, 
the  big  propellers  began  revolving.  They  were 
off  on  their  long  voyage  to  find  the  lost  platinum 
mine,  and  rescue  the  exile  of  Siberia. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A  STORM  AT  SEA 

TOM  had  the  choice  of  two  routes  in  making 
his  voyage  to  far-off  Siberia.  He  could  have 
crossed  the  United  States,  sailed  over  the  Pacific 
ocean,  and  approached  the  land  of  the  Czar  from 
the  western  coast  above  Manchuria.  But  he  pre- 
ferred to  take  the  Atlantic  route,  crossing  Europe, 
and  so  sailing  over  Russia  proper  to  get  to  his 
destination.  There  were  several  reasons  for  this. 

The  water  voyage  was  somewhat  shorter,  and 
this  was  an  important  consideration  when  there 
was  no  telling  when  he  might  have  an  accident 
that  would  compel  him  to  descend.  On  the  At- 
lantic he  knew  there  would  be  more  ships  to 
render  assistance  if  it  was  needed,  although  h* 
hoped  he  would  not  have  to  ask  for  it. 

"Then,  too,"  he  said  to  Ned,  when  they  were 
discussing  the  matter,  "we  will  have  a  chance  to 
see  some  civilized  countries  if  we  cross  Europe, 
and  we  may  land  near  Paris." 

"Paris!"  cried  Ned.     "What  for?" 


A  STORM  AT  SEA  89 

"To  renew  our  supply  of  gasolene,  for  one 
thing,"  replied  the  young  inventor.  "Not  that  we 
will  be  out  when  we  arrive,  but  if  we  take  on 
more  there  we  may  not  have  to  get  any  in  Rus- 
sia. Besides,  they  have  a  very  good  quality  in 
France,  so  all  told,  I  think  the  route  over  Europe 
to  be  the  best." 

Ned  agreed  with  him,  and  so  did  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky.  As  for  Mr.  Damon,  he  was  so  busy  getting 
his  sleeping  room  in  order,  and  blessing  every- 
thing he  could  think  of,  that  he  did  not  have 
time  to  talk  much.  So  the  eastern  route  was 
decided  on,  and  as  the  big  airship,  carrying  our 
friends,  their  supplies,  and  the  wonderful  air 
glider  rose  higher  and  higher,  Tom  gradually 
brought  her  around  so  that  the  pointed  nose  of 
the  gas  bag  aimed  straight  across  the  Atlantic. 

They  were  over  the  ocean  on  the  second  day 
out,  for  Tom  did  not  push  the  craft  to  her  limit 
of  speed,  now  they  had  time  to  consider  matters 
at  their  leisure,  for  they  had  been  rather  hurried 
on  leaving. 

The  machinery  was  working  as  nearly  to  per- 
fection as  it  could  be  brought,  and  Tom,  after 
finding  out  that  his  craft  would  answer  equally 
well  as  a  dirigible  balloon  or  an  aeroplane,  let  it 
sail  along  as  the  latter. 

"For,"  he  said,  "we  have  a  long  trip  ahead  of 


90          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

us  "and  we  need  to  save  all  the  elevating  gas  we 
can  save.  If  worsycomes  to  worst,  and  we  can't 
navigate  as  an  aeroplane  any  more,  we  can  even 
drift  along  as  a  dirigible.  But  while  we  have  the 
gasolene  we  might  as  well  make  speed  and  be  an 
aeroplane." 

The  others  agreed  with  him,  and  so  it  was  ar- 
ranged. Tom,  when  he  had  seen  to  it  that  his 
craft  was  working  well,  let  Ned  take  charge  and 
devoted  himself  to  seeing  that  all  the  stares  and 
supplies  were  in  order  for  quick  use. 

Of  course,  until  they  were  nearer  the  land  of 
the  Czar,  and  that  part  of  Siberia  where  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky's  brother  was  held  as  an  exile,  they  could 
do  little  save  make  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
possible  in  the  airship.  And  this  was  not  hard  to 
do. 

Naturally,  in  a  craft  that  had  to  carry  a  heavy 
load,  and  lift  itself  into  the  air,  as  well  as  propel 
itself  along,  not  many  things  could  be  taken. 
Every  ounce  counted.  Still  our  friends  were  not 
without  their  comforts.  There  was  a  well  stocked 
kitchen,  and  Mr.  Damon  insisted  on  installing 
himself  as  cook.  This  had  been  Eradicated  work, 
but  the  eccentric  man  knew  how  to  do  almost 
everything  from  making  soup  to  roasting  a  chick- 
en, and  he  liked  it.  So  he  was  allowed  free  run 
of  the  galley. 


A  STORM  AT  SEA  9! 

Tom  and  Ned  spent  much  time  in  the  steering 
tower  or  engine  room,  for,  though  all  of  the 
machinery  was  automatic,  there  was  need  of  al- 
most constant  attention,  though  there  was  an  ar- 
rangement whereby  in  case  of  emergency,  the  air- 
ship would  steer  herself  in  any  set  direction  for  a 
certain  number  of  hours. 

There  were  ample  sleeping  quarters  for  six  per- 
sons, a  living  room  and  a  dining  saloon.  In  short 
the  Falcon  was  much  like  Tom's  Red  Cloud,  only 
bigger  and  better.  There  was  even  a  phonograph 
on  board  so  that  music,  songs,  and  recitations 
could  be  enjoyed. 

"Bless  my  napkin!  but  this  is  great!"  exclaimed 
Mr.  Damon,  about  noon  of  the  second  day,  when 
they  had  just  finished  dinner  and  looked  down 
through  the  glass  windows  in  the  bottom  of  the 
cabin  at  the  rolling  ocean  below  them.  "I  don't 
believe  many  persons  have  such  opportunities  as 
we  have." 

"I'm  sure  they,  do  not,"  added  Mr.  Petrofsky. 
"I  can  hardly  think  it  true,  that  I  am  on  my  way 
back  to  Siberia  to  rescue  my  dear  brother." 

"And  such  good  weather  as  we're  having," 
spoke  Ned.  "I'm  glad  we  didn't  start  off  in  a 
storm,  for  I  don't  exactly  like  them  when  we're 
over  the  water." 

"We  may  get  one  yet,"  said  Tom.     "I  don't 


92          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

just  like  the  way  the  barometer  is  acting.  It's 
falling  pretty  fast." 

"Bless  my  mercury  tube!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"I  hope  we  have  no  bad  luck  on  this  trip." 

"Oh,  we  can't  help  a  storm  or  two,"  answered 
Tom.  "I  guess  it  won't  do  any  harm  to  prepare 
for  it." 

So  everything  was  made  snug,  and  movable 
articles  on  the  small  exposed  deck  of  the  airship 
were  lashed  fast.  Then,  as  night  settled  down,  our 
friends  gathered  about  in  the  cheerful  cabin,  in 
the  light  of  the  electric  lamps,  and  talked  of  what 
lay  before  them. 

As  Mr.  Damon  could  steer  as  well  as  Tom  or 
Ned,  he  shared  in  the  night  watch.  But  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky  was  not  expert  enough  to  accept  this  re- 
sponsibility. 

It  was  when  Mr.  Damon  finished  his  watch  at 
midnight,  and  called  Tom,  that  he  remarked. 

"Bless  my  umbrella,  Tom.  But  I  don't  like  the 
looks  of  the  weather." 

"Why,  what's  it  doing?" 

"It  isn't  doing  anything,  but  it's  clouding  up 
and  the  barometer  is  going  down." 

"I  was  afraid  we  were  in  for  it,"  answered  the 
young  inventor.  "Well,  we'll  have  to  take  what 
comes. " 

The  airship  plunged  on  her  way,  while  her 


A  STORM  AT  SEA  93 

young  pilot  looked  at  the  various  gages,  noting 
that  to  hold  her  way  against  the  wind  that  had 
risen  he  would  have  to  increase  the  speed  of  the 
motor. 

"I  don't  like  it,"  murmured  Tom,  "I  don't  like 
it,"  and  he  shook  his  head  dubiously. 

With  a  suddenness  that  was  almost  terrifying, 
the  storm  broke  over  the  ocean  about  three  o'clock 
that  morning.  There  was  a  terrific  clap  of  thun- 
der, a  flash  of  lighting,  and  a  deluge  of  rain  that 
fairly  made  the  staunch  Falcon  stagger,  high  in 
the  air  as  she  was. 

"Come  on,  Ned!"  cried  Tom,  as  he  pressed 
the  electric  alarm  bell  connected  with  his  chum's 
berth.  "I  need  you,  and  Mr.  Damon,  too." 

"What's  the  matter?"  cried  Ned,  awakened 
suddenly  from  a  sound  sleep. 

"We're  in  a  bad  storm,"  answered  Tom,  "and 
I'll  have  to  have  help.  We  need  more  gas,  to  try 
and  rise  above  it." 

"Bless  my  hanging  lamp!"  cried  Mr.  Damon, 
"I  hope  nothing  happens!" 

And  he  jumped  from  his  berth  as  the  Falcon 
plunged  and  staggered  through  the  storm  that 
was  lashing  the  ocean  below  her  into  white  bil- 
lows of  foam. 


CHAPTER  XII 

AN  ACCIDENT 

FOR  a  few  moments  it  seemed  as  if  the  Falcon 
would  surely  turn  turtle  and  plunge  into  the  seeth- 
ing ocean.  The  storm  had  burst  with  such  sud- 
denness that  Tom,  who  was  piloting  his  air  craft, 
was  taken  unawares.  He  had  not  been  using 
much  power  or  the  airship  would  have  been  better 
able  to  weather  the  blast  that  burst  with  such 
fury  over  her.  But  as  it  was,  merely  drifting 
along,  she  was  almost  like  a  great  sheet  of  paper. 

Down  she  was  forced,  until  the  high-flying 
spray  from  the  waves  actually  wet  the  lower  part 
of  the  car,  and  Ned,  looking  through  one  of  the 
glass  windows,  saw,  in  the  darkness,  the  phos- 
phorescent gleam  of  the  water  so  near  to  them. 

"Tom!"  he  cried  in  alarm.    "We're  sinking!" 

"Bless  my  bath  sponge!  Don't  say  that!" 
gasped  Mr.  Damon. 

"That's  why  I  called  you,"  yelled  the  young 
inventor.  "We've  got  to  rise  above  the  storm  if 
possible.  Go  to  the  gas  machine,  Ned,  and  turn 

94 


AN  ACCIDENT  95 

it  on  full  strength.  I'll  speed  up  the  motor,  and 
we  may  be  able  to  cut  up  that  way.  But  get  the 
gas  on  as  soon  as  you  can.  The  bag  is  only  about 
half  full.  Force  in  all  you  can! 

"Mr.  Damon,  can  you  take  the  wheel?  It 
doesn't  make  any  difference  which  way  we  go  as 
long  as  you  keep  her  before  the  wind,  and  yank 
back  the  elevating  rudder  as  far  as  she'll  go! 
We  must  head  up." 

"All  right,  Tom,"  answered  the  eccentric  man, 
as  he  fairly  jumped  to  take  the  place  of  the 
young  inventor  at  the  helm. 

"Can  I  do  anything?"  asked  the  Russian,  as 
Tom  raced  for  the  engine  room,  to  speed  the 
motor  up  to  the  last  notch. 

"I  guess  not.  Everything  is  covered,  unless 
you  want  to  help  Mr.  Damon.  In  this  blow  it 
will  be  hard  to  work  the  rudder  levers." 

"All  right,"  replied  Ivan  Petrofsky,  and  then 
there  came  another  sickening  roll  of  the  airship, 
that  threatened  to  turn  her  completely  over. 

"Lively!"  yelled  Tom,  clinging  to  various  sup* 
ports  as  he  made  his  way  to  the  engine  room. 
"Lively,  all  hands,  or  we'll  be  awash  in  another 
minute!" 

And  indeed  it  seemed  that  this  might  be  so,  for 
with  the  wind  forcing  her  down,  and  the  hungry 
waves  leaping  up,  as  if  to  clutch  her  to  themselves, 


96          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  Falcon  was  having  anything  but  an  easy  time 
of  it. 

It  was  the  work  of  but  an  instant  however, 
when  Tom  reached  the  engine  room,  to  jerk  the 
accelerator  lever  toward  him,  and  the  motor  re- 
sponded at  once.  With  a  low,  humming  whine  the 
wheels  and  gears  redoubled  their  speed,  and  the 
great  propellers  beat  the  air  with  fiercer  strokes. 

At  the  same  time  Tom  heard  the  hiss  of  the 
gas  as  it  rushed  into  the  envelope  from  the  gen- 
erating machine,  as  Ned  opened  the  release  valve. 

"Now  we  ought  to  go  up,"  the  young  inventor 
murmured,  as  he  anxiously  watched  the  baro- 
graph, and  noted  the  position  of  the  swinging 
pendulum  which  told  of  the  roll  and  dip  of  the 
air  craft. 

For  a  moment  she  hung  in  the  balance,  neither 
the  increased  speed  of  the  propellers,  nor  the  force 
of  the  gas  having  any  seeming  effect.  Mr.  Damon 
and  the  Russian,  clinging  to  the  rudder  levers, 
to  avoid  being  dashed  against  the  sides  of  the 
pilot  house,  held  them  as  far  back  as  they  could, 
to  gain  the  full  power  of  the  elevation  planes. 
But  even  this  seemed  to  do  no  good. 

The  power  of  the  gale  was  such,  that,  eveit 
with  the  motor  and  gas  machine  working  to  their 
limit,  the  Falcon  only  held  her  own.  She  swept 
along,  barely  missing  the  crests  of  the  giant  waves, 


AN  ACCIDENT  97 

"She's  got  to  go  up!  She's  got  to  go  up!" 
cried  Tom  desperately,  as  if  by  very  will  power 
he  could  send  her  aloft.  And  then,  when  there 
came  a  lull  in  the  fierce  blowing  of  the  wind,  the 
elevation  rudder  took  hold,  and  like  a  bird  that 
sees  the  danger  below,  and  flies  toward  the  clouds, 
the  airship  shot  up  suddenly. 

"That's  it!"  cried  Tom  in  relief,  as  he  noted  the 
needle  of  the  barograph  swinging  over,  indicating 
an  ever-increasing  height.  "Now  we're  safe." 

They  were  not  quite  yet,  but  at  last  the  power 
of  machinery  had  prevailed  over  that  of  the  ele- 
ments. Through  the  pelting  rain,  and  amid  the 
glare  of  the  lightning,  and  the  thunder  of  heaven's 
artillery,  the  airship  forced  her  way,  up  and  up 
and  up. 

Setting  the  motor  controller  to  give  the  maxi- 
mum power  until  he  released  it,  Tom  hastened  to 
the  gas-generating  apparatus.  He  found  Ned 
attending  to  it,  so  that  it  was  now  working  satis- 
factorily. 

"How  about  it,  Tom?"  cried  his  chum  anx- 
iously. 

"All  right  now,  Ned,  but  it  was  a  close  shave! 
I  thought  we  were  done  for,  platinum  mine,  res- 
cue of  exiles,  and  all." 

"So  did  I.    Shall  I  keep  on  with  the  gas ?" 


98          TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Yes,  until  the  indicator  shows  that  the  bag  is 
full.  I'm  going  to  the  pilot  house." 

Running  there,  Tom  found  that  Mr.  Damon 
and  the  Russian  had  about  all  they  could  manage. 
The  young  inventor  helped  them  and  then,  when 
the  Falcon  was  well  started  on  her  upward  course, 
Tom  set  the  automatic  steering  machine,  and  they 
had  a  breathing  spell. 

To  get  above  the  sweep  of  the  blast  was  no 
easy  task,  for  the  wind  strata  seemed  to  be  sev- 
eral miles  high,  and  Tom  did  not  want  to  risk 
an  accident  by  going  to  such  an  elevation.  So, 
when  having  gone  up  about  a  mile,  he  found  a 
comparatively  calm  area  he  held  to  that,  and  the 
Falcon  sped  along  with  the  occupants  feeling  fair- 
ly comfortable,  for  there  was  no  longer  that 
rolling  and  tumbling  motion. 

The  storm  kept  up  all  night,  but  the  danger 
was  practically  over,  unless  something  should 
happen  to  the  machinery,  and  Tom  and  Ned  kept 
careful  watch  to  prevent  this.  In  the  morning 
they  could  look  down  on  the  storm-swept  ocean 
below  them,  and  there  was  a  feeling  of  thank- 
fulness in  their  hearts  that  they  were  not  en- 
gulfed in  it. 

"This  is  a  pretty  hard  initiation  for  an  amateur," 
remarked  Mr.  Petrofsky.  "I  never  imagined  I 


AN  ACCIDENT  99 

should  be  as  brave  as  this  in  an  airship  in  a 
storm." 

"Oh,  you  can  get  used  to  almost  anything," 
commented  Mr.  Damon. 

It  was  three  days  before  the  storm  blew  itself 
out  and  then  came  pleasant  weather,  during  which 
the  Falcon  flew  rapidly  along.  Our  friends  busied 
themselves  about  many  things,  talked  of  what  lay 
before  them,  and  made  such  plans  as  they  could. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day,  and  they 
expected  to  sight  the  coast  of  France  in  the  morn- 
ing. Tom  was  in  the  pilot  house,  setting  the 
course  for  the  night  run,  and  Ned  had  gone  to 
the  engine  room  to  look  after  the  oiling  of  the 
motor. 

Hardly  had  he  reached  the  compartment  tha» 
there  was  a  loud  report,  a  brilliant  flash  of  fire, 
and  the  machinery  stopped  dead. 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Tom,  as  he  came  in  on  the 
run,  for  the  indicators  in  the  pilot  house  had  told 
him  something  was  wrong. 

"An  accident!"  cried  Ned.  "A  breakdown, 
Tom!  What  shall  we  do?" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SEEKING  A  QUARREL 

THERE  was  an  ominous  silence  in  the  engirt 
room,  following  the  flash  and  the  report.  The 
young  inventor  took  in  every  bit  of  machinery  in 
a  quick  glance,  and  he  saw  at  once  that  the  main 
dynamo  and  magneto  had  short-circuited,  and 
gone  out  of  commission.  Almost  instantly  the 
airship  began  to  sink,  for  the  propellers  had 
ceased  revolving. 

"Bless  my  barograph!"  cried  Mr.  Damon,  ap«* 
pearing  on  the  scene.  "We're  sinking,  Tom!" 

"It's  all  right,"  answered  our  hero  calmly. 
:'It's  a  bad  accident,  and  may  delay  us,  but  there's 
no  danger.  Ned,  start  up  the  gas  machine,"  for 
they  were  progressing  as  an  aeroplane  then. 
"Start  that  up,  and  we'll  drift  along  as  a  diri- 
gible." 

"Of  course!  Why  didn't  I  think  of  that!"  ex- 
claimed Ned,  somewhat  provoked  at  his  own 
want  of  thought.  The  airship  was  going  down 
rapidly,  but  it  was  the  work  of  but  a  moment  to 

POO 


SEEKING  A  QUARREL  ioi 

start  the  generator,  and  then  the  earthward  mo- 
tion was  checked. 

"We'll  have  to  take  our  chance  of  being  blown 
to  France,"  remarked  Tom,  as  he  went  over  to 
look  at  the  broken  electrical  machinery.  "But 
we  ought  to  fetch  the  coast  by  morning  with  this 
wind.  Lucky  it's  blowing  our  way." 

"Then  you  can't  use  the  propellers?"  asked  Mr. 
Petrofsky. 

"No,"  replied  Tom,  "but  if  we  get  to  France 
I  can  easily  repair  this  break.  It's  the  platinum 
bearings  again.  I  do  hope  we'll  locate  that  lost 
mine,  for  I  need  a  supply  of  good  reliable  metal." 

"Then  we'll  have  to  land  in  France?"  asked  the 
Russian,  and  he  seemed  a  trifle  uneasy. 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom.    "Don't  you  want  to?n 

"Well,  I  was  thinking  of  our  safety." 

"Bless  my  silk  hat!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"Where  is  the  danger  of  landing  there?  I  rather 
hoped  we  could  spend  some  time  in  Paris." 

"There  is  no  particular  danger,  unless  it  be- 
comes known  that  I  am  an  escaped  exile,  and  that 
we  are  on  our  way  to  Siberia  to  rescue  another 
one,  and  try  to  find  the  platinum  mine.  Then 
we  would  be  in  danger." 

"But  how  are  they  to  know  it?"  asked  Ned, 
who  had  come  back  from  the  gas  machine. 

"France,   especially  in   Paris   and  the  larger 


102        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

cities,  is  a  hot-bed  of  political  spies,"  answered 
Mr.  Petrofsky.  Russia  has  many  there  on  the 
secret  police,  and  while  the  objectors  to  the  Czar's 
government  are  also  there,  they  could  do  little  to 
help  us." 

"I  guess  they  won't  find  out  about  us  unless 
we  give  it  away,"  was  Tom's  opinion. 

"I'm  afraid  they  will,"  was  the  reply  of  the 
Russian.  "Undoubtedly  word  has  been  cabled  by 
the  spies  who  annoyed  us  in  Shopton,  that  we 
are  on  our  way  over  here.  Of  course  they  can't 
tell  where  we  might  land,  but  as  soon  as  we  do 
land  the  news  will  be  flashed  all  over,  and  the 
word  will  come  back  that  we  are  enemies  of 
Russia.  You  can  guess  the  rest." 

"Then  let's  go  somewhere  else,"  suggested  Mr. 
Damon. 

"It  would  be  the  same  anywhere  in  Europe," 
replied  Ivan  Petrofsky.  "There  are  spies  in  all 
the  large  centres." 

"Well,  I've  got  to  go  to  Paris,  or  some  large 
city  to  get  the  parts  I  need,"  said  Tom.  "Unfor- 
tunately I  didn't  bring  any  along  for  the  dynamo 
and  magneto,  as  I  should  have  done,  and  I  can't 
get  the  necessary  pieces  in  a  small  town.  I'll 
have  to  depend  on  some  big  machine  shop.  But 
we  might  land  in  some  little-frequented  place, 
and  I  could  go  in  to  town  alone." 


SEEKING  A  QUARREL  103 

"That  might  answer,"  spoke  the  Russian,  and 
it  was  decided  to  try  that. 

Meanwhile  it  was  somewhat  doubtful  whether 
*hey  would  reach  France,  for  they  were  dependent 
on  the  wind.  But  it  seemed  to  be  blowing  stead- 
ily in  the  desired  direction,  and  Tom  noted  with 
satisfaction  that  their  progress  was  comparatively 
fast.  He  tried  to  repair  the  broken  machinery » 
but  found  that  he  could  not,  though  he  spent 
much  of  the  night  over  it. 

"Hurrah!"  cried  Ned  when  morning  came,  and 
he  had  taken  an  observation.  "There's  some  kind 
of  land  over  there." 

The  wind  freshened  while  they  were  at  break* 
fast  and  using  more  gas  so  as  to  raise  them  higher 
Tom  directed  the  course  of  his  airship  as  best  he 
could.  He  wanted  to  get  high  enough  so  that  if 
they  passed  over  a  city  they  would  not  be  ob- 
served. 

At  noon  it  could  be  seen  through  the  glass 
that  they  were  over  the  outskirts  of  some  large 
place,  and  after  the  Russian  had  taken  an  obser- 
vation he  exclaimed : 

"The  environs  of  Paris!  We  must  not  land 
there!" 

"We  won't,  if  the  wind  holds  out,"  remarked 
Tom  and  this  good  fortune  came  to  them.  They 
succeeded  in  landing  in  a  field  not  far  from  a 


104        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

small  village,  and  though  several  farmers  won- 
dered much  as  the  sight  of  the  big  airship,  it  was 
thought  by  the  platinum-seekers  that  they  would 
be  comparatively  safe.  « 

"Now  to  get  the  first Jfain  for  Paris  and  get 
the  things  I  need,"  exclaimed  Tom.  He  set  to 
work  taking  off  the  broken  pieces  that  they  might 
be  duplicated,  and  then,  having  inquired  at  an 
inn  for  the  nearest  railroad  station,  and  having 
hired  a  rig,  the  young  inventor  set  off. 

"Can  you  speak  French?"  asked  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky.  "If  not  I  might  be  of  service,  but  if  I  go 
to  Paris  I  might  be " 

"Never  mind,"  inerrupted  Tom.  "I  guess  I 
can  parley  enough  to  get  along  with." 

He  had  a  small  knowledge  of  the  tongue,  and 
with  that,  and  knowing  that  English  was  spoken  in 
many  places,  he  felt  that  he  could  make  out. 
And  indeed  he  had  no  trouble.  He  easily  found 
his  way  about  the  gay  capital,  and  located  a 
machine  shop  where  a  specialty  was  made  of 
parts  for  automobile  and  airship  motors.  The 
proprietor,  knowing  the  broken  pieces  belonged 
to  an  aeroplane,  questioned  Tom  about  his  craft, 
but  the  young  inventor  knew  better  than  to  give 
any  clew  that  might  make  trouble,  so  he  returned 
evasive  answers. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  he  got  back  to  the 


SEEKING  A  QUARREL  105 

f)lace  where  he  had  left  the  Falcon,  and  he  found 
a  curious  crowd  of  rustics  grouped  about  it. 

"Has  anything  happened?"  he  asked  of  his 
friends. 

"No,  everything  is  quiet,  I'm  glad  to  say,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Petrofsky.  "I  don't  think  our  presence 
will  create  stir  enough  so  that  the  news  of  it  will 
reach  the  spies  in  Paris.  Still  I  will  feel  easier 
when  we're  in  the  air  again." 

"It  will  take  a  day  to  make  the  repairs,"  said 
Tom,  "and  put  in  the  new  pieces  of  platinum.  But 
I'll  work  as  fast  as  I  can." 

He  and  Ned  labored  far  into  the  night,  and 
were  at  it  again  the  next  morning.  Mr.  Damon 
and  the  Russian  were  of  no  service  for  they,  did 
not  understand  the  machinery  well  enough.  It 
was  while  Tom  was  outside  the  craft,  filing  a 
piece  of  platinum  in  an  improvised  vise,  that  a 
poorly-clothed  man  sauntered  up  and  watched 
him  curiously.  Tom  glanced  at  him,  and  was  at 
once  struck  by  a  difference  between  the  man's  at- 
tire and  his  person. 

For,  though  he  was  tattered  and  torn,  the  man's 
face  showed  a  certain  refinement,  and  his  hands 
Were  not  those  of  a  farmer  or  laborer  in  which 
diaracter  he  obviously  posed. 

"Monsieur  has  a  fine  airship  there,"  he  re- 
marked to  Tom. 


106        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Oh,  yes,  it'll  do."  Tom  did  not  want  to  en- 
courage conversation. 

"Doubtless  from  America  it  comes?" 

The  man  spoke  English  but  with  an  accent,  and 
certain  peculiarities. 

"Maybe  so,"  replied  the  young  inventor. 

"Is  it  permit  to  inspect  the  interior?" 

"No,  it  isn't,"  came  from  Tom  shortly.  He 
had  hurt  his  finger  with  the  file,  and  he  was  not 
in  the  best  of  humor. 

"Ah,  there  are  secrets  then?"  persisted  the 
stranger. 

"Yes!"  said  Tom  shortly.  "I  wish  you 
wouldn't  bother  me.  I'm  busy,  can't  you  see." 

"Ah,  does  monsieur  mean  that  I  have  poor 
eyesight?" 

The  question  was  snapped  out  so  suddenly, 
and  with  such  a  menacing  tone  that  Tom  glanced 
up  quickly.  He  was  surprised  at  the  look  in  the 
man's  eyes. 

"Just  as  you  choose  to  take  it,"  was  the  cool 
answer.  "I  don't  know  anything  about  your 
eyes,  but  I  know  I've  got  work  to  do." 

"Monsieur  is  insulting!"  rasped  out  the  seeming 
farmer.  "He  is  not  polite.  He  is  not  a  French- 
man." 

"Now  that'll  do!"  cried  Tom,  thoroughly 
aroused.  "I  don't  want  to  be  too  short  with  you, 


SEEKING  A  QUARREL  107 

but  I've  really  got  to  get  this  done.  One  side,  if 
you  please,"  and  having  finished  what  he  was 
doing,  he  started  toward  the  airship. 

Whether  in  his  haste  Tom  did  not  notice  where 
he  was  going,  or  whether  the  man  deliberately 
got  in  his  way  I  cannot  say,  but  at  any  rate  they 
collided  and  the  seeming  farmer  went  spinning  to 
one  side,  falling  down. 

"Monsieur  has  struck  me!  I  am  insulted! 
You  shall  pay  for  this!"  he  cried,  jumping  to 
his  feet,  and  making  a  rush  for  our  hero. 

"All  right.  It  was  your  own  fault  for  bother- 
ing me  but  if  you  want  anything  I'll  give  it  to 
you!"  cried  Tom,  striking  a  position  of  defence. 

The  man  was  about  to  rush  at  him,  and  there 
would  have  been  a  fight  in  another  minute,  had 
not  Mr.  Petrofsky,  stepping  to  the  open  window 
of  the  pilot  house,  called  out : 

"Tom!  Tom!  Come  here,  quick.  Never 
mind  him!" 

Swinging  away  from  the  man,  the  young  in- 
ventor rushed  toward  the  airship.  As  he  en- 
tered the  pilot  house  he  noticed  that  his  late  ques- 
tioner was  racing  off  in  the  direction  of  the  village. 

"What  is  it?  What's  the  matter?"  he  asked  of 
the  Russian.  "Is  something  more  wrong  with  the 
airship?" 


108        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"No,  I  just  wanted  to  get  you  away  from  that 
man." 

"Oh,  I  could  take  care  of  myself." 

"I  know  that,  but  don't  you  see  what  his  game 
was  ?  I  listened  to  him.  He  was  seeking  a  quar- 
rel with  you." 

"A  quarrel?" 

"Yes.  He  is  a  police  spy.  He  wanted  to  get 
you  into  a  fight  and  then  he  and  you  would  be 
arrested  by  the  local  authorities.  They'd  clap 
you  into  jail,  and  hold  us  all  here.  It's  a  game! 
They  suspect  us,  Tom!  The  Russian  spies  have 
had  some  word  of  our  presence!  We  must  get 
away  as  quickly  as  we  can!" 


CHAPTER  XIV 

HURRIED  FLIGHT 

THE  announcement  of  Ivan  Petrofsky  came  to 
Tom  with  startling  suddenness.  He  could  say 
nothing  for  a  moment,  and  then,  as  he  realized 
what  it  meant,  and  as  he  recalled  the  strange 
appearance  and  actions  of  the  man,  he  understood 
the  danger. 

"Was  he  a  spy?"  he  asked. 

"I'm  almost  sure  he  was,"  came  the  answer. 
"He  isn't  one  of  the  villagers,  that's  sure,  and  he 
isn't  a  tourist.  No  one  else  would  be  in  this 
little  out-of-the-way  place  but  a  police  official.  He 
is  in  disguise,  that  is  certain." 

"I  believe  so,"  agreed  Tom.  "But  what  was 
his  game?" 

"We  are  suspected,"  replied  the  Russian.  "I 
was  afraid  a  big  airship  couldn't  land  anywhere 
in  France  without  it  becoming  known.  Word( 
must  have  been  sent  to  Paris  in  the  night,  and 
this  spy  came  out  directly." 

"But  what  will  happen  now?" 
109 


HO        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Didn't  you  see  where  he  headed  for?  THe 
village.  He  has  gone  to  send  word  that  his  trick 
failed.  There  will  be  more  spies  soon,  and  we 
may  be  detained  or  thrown  into  jail  on  some  pre- 
text or  other.  They  may  claim  that  we  have  no  li- 
cense, or  some  such  flimsy  thing  as  that.  Anything 
to  detain  us.  They  are  after  me,  of  course,  and 
I'm  sorry  that  I  made  you  run  such  danger.  Per- 
haps I'd  better  leave  you,  and " 

"No,  you  don't!"  cried  Tom  heartily.  "We'll 
all  'hang  together  or  we'll  hang  separately',  as 
Benjamin  Franklin  or  some  of  those  old  chaps 
once  remarked.  I'm  not  the  kind  to  desert  a 
friend  in  the  face  of  danger." 

"Bless  my  revolver!  I  should  say  not!"  cried 
Mr.  Damon.  "What's  it  all  about?  Where's  the 
danger?" 

They  told  him  as  briefly  as  possible,  and  Ned, 
who  had  been  working  in  the  motor  room,  was 
also  informed. 

"Well,  what's  to  be  done?"  asked  Tom.  "Had 
we  better  get  out  our  ammunition,  or  shall  I  take 
out  a  French  license." 

"Neither  would  do  any  good,"  answered  the 
Russian.  "I  appreciate  your  sticking  by  me,  and 
if  you  are  resolved  on  that,the  only  thing  to  do  is 
to  complete  the  repairs  as  soon  as  possible  and  get 
away  from  here." 


HURRIED  FLIGHT  III 

"That's  it!"  cried  Ned.  "A  quick  flight.  We 
can  get  more  gasolene  here,  for  lots  of  autos  pass 
along  the  road  through  the  village.  I  found  that 
out.  Then  we  needn't  stop  until  we  hit  the  trail 
for  the  mine  in  Siberia!" 

"Hush!"  cautiond  the  Russian.  "You  can't 
tell  who  may  be  sneaking  around  to  listen.  But 
we  ought  to  leave  as  soon  as  we  can." 

"And  we  will,"  said  Tom.  "I've  got  the  mag- 
neto almost  fixed!" 

"Let's  get  a  hustle  on  then!"  urged  Ned.  "That 
fellow  meant  business  from  his  looks.  The  nerve 
of  him  to  try  to  pick  a  quarrel  that  way." 

"I  might  have  told  by  his  manner  that  some- 
thing was  wrong,"  commented  Tom,  "brfft  I 
thought  he  was  a  fresh  tramp  and  I  didn't  take 
any  pains  in  answering  him.  But  come  on,  Ned, 
get  busy." 

They  did,  with  such  good  effect  that  by  noon 
the  machinery  was  in  running  shape  again,  and 
so  far  there  had  been  no  evidence  of  the  return  of 
the  spy.  Doubtless  he  was  waiting  for  instruc- 
tions, and  something  might  happen  any  minute. 

"Now,  Ned,  if  you'll  see  to  having  some  gaso- 
lene brought  out  here,  and  the  tanks  filled,  Fll 
tinker  with  the  dynamo  and  get  that  in  running 
shape,"  said  Tom.  "It  only  needs  a  little  adjust" 
ment  of  the  brushes.  Then  we'll  be  off." 


112        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Ned  started  for  the  village  where  there  was  a 
gasolene  depot.  He  fancied  the  villagers  regarded 
him  rather  curiously,  but  he  did  not  stop  to  ask 
what  it  meant.  Another  odd  fact  was  that  the 
usual  crowd  of  curious  rustics  about  the  airship 
was  missing.  It  was  as  though  they  suspected 
trouble  might  come,  and  they  did  not  want  to  be 
mixed  up  in  it. 

Never,  Ned  thought,  had  he  seen  a  man  so  slow 
at  getting  ready  the  supply  of  gasolene.  He  was  to 
take  it  out  in  a  wagon,  but  first  he  mislaid  the 
funnel,  then  the  straining  cloth,  and  finally  he 
discovered  a  break  in  the  harness  that  needed 
mending. 

"I  believe  he's  doing  it  on  purpose  to  delay 
us,"  thought  the  youth,  "but  it  won't  do  to  say 
anything.  Something  is  in  the  wind. "  He  helped 
the  man  all  he  could,  and  urged  him  in  every 
way  he  knew,  but  the  fellow  seemed  to  have 
grown  suddenly  stupid,  and  answered  only  in 
French,  though  previously  he  had  spoken  some 
English. 

But  at  last  Ned,  by  dint  of  hard  work,  got  him 
started,  and  rode  on  the  gasolene  wagon  with 
him.  Once  at  the  anchored  airship,  Tom  and  the 
others  filled  the  reserve  tanks  themselves,  though 
the  man  tried  to  help.  However  he  did  more 


HURRIED  FLIGHT  113 

harm  than  good,  spilling  several  gallons  of  the 
fluid. 

"Oh,  get  away,  and  let  us  do  it!"  cried  Tom  at 

last.    "I  know  what  you " 

"Easy!"  cautioned  Mr.  Petrofsky,  with  a  warn- 
ing look,  and  Tom  subsided. 

Finally  the  tanks  were  full,  the  man  was  paid, 
and  he  started  to  drive  away. 

"Now  to  make  a  quick  flight!"  cried  Tom,  as 
he  took  his  place  in  the  pilot  house,  while  Ned 
went  to  the  engine  room.  "Full  speed,  Ned!" 

"Yes,  and  we'll  need  it,  too,"  said  the  Rus- 
sian. 

"Why?"  asked  Tom. 

"Look!"  was  the  answer,  and  Ivan  Petrofsky 
pointed  across  the  field  over  which,  headed  to- 
ward the  airship,  came  the  man  who  had  sought 
a  quarrel  with  Tom.  And  with  the  spy  were 
several  policemen  in  uniform,  their  short  swords 
dangling  at  their  sides. 

"They're  after  us!"  cried  Mr.  Damon.  "Bless 
my  chronometer  they're  after  us!" 

"Start  the  motor,  Ned!  Start  the  motor!" 
cried  Tom,  and  a  moment  later  the  hum  of 
machinery  was  heard,  while  the  police  and  the 
spy  broke  into  a  run,  shouting  and  waving  their 
hands 


CHAPTER  XV 

PURSUED 

SLOWLY  the  airship  arose,  almost  too  slowly  to 
suit  those  on  board  who  anxiously  watched  the 
oncoming  officers.  The  latter  had  drawn  their 
short  swords,  and  at  the  sight  of  them  Mr.  Damon 
cried  out: 

"Bless  my  football!  If  they  jab  them  into  the 
gas  bag,  Tom,  we're  done  for!" 

"They  won't  get  the  chance,"  answered  the 
y&ung  inventor,  and  he  spoke  truly,  for  a  moment 
later,  as  the  big  propellers  took  hold  of  the  air, 
the  Falcon  went  up  with  a  rush,  and  was  far  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  men.  In  a  rage  the  spy 
shook  his  fist  at  the  fast  receding  craft,  and  one 
of  the  policemen  drew  his  revolver. 

"They're  going  to  fire!"  cried  Ned. 

"They  can't  do  much  damage,"  answered  Tom 
coolly.  "A  bullet  hole  in  the  bag  is  easily  re- 
paired, and  anywhere  else  it  won't  amount  to 
anything. " 

The  officer  was  aiming  his  revolver  at  the  air- 


PURSUED  115 

ship,  now  high  above  his  head,  but  with  a  quick 
motion  the  spy  pulled  down  his  companion's  arm, 
and  they  seemed  to  be  disputing  among  them- 
selves. 

"I  wonder  what  that  means?"  mused  Mr. 
Damon. 

"Probably  they  didn't  want  to  risk  getting  into 
trouble,"  replied  the  Russian.  "There  are  strict 
laws  in  France  about  using  firearms,  and  as  yet 
we  are  accused  of  no  crime.  We  are  only  sus- 
pected, and  I  suppose  the  spy  didn't  want  to  get 
into  trouble.  He  is  on  foreign  ground,  and  there 
might  be  international  complications." 

"Then  you  really  think  he  was  a  spy?"  asked 
Tom. 

"No  doubt  of  it,  and  I'm  afraid  this  is  only  the 
beginning  of  our  trouble." 

"In  what  way?" 

"Well,  of  course  word  will  be  sent  on  ahead 
about  us,  and  every  where  we  go  they'll  be  on  the 
watch  for  us.  They  have  our  movements  pretty 
well  covered." 

"We  won't  make  a  descent  until  we  get  to 
Siberia,"  said  Tom,  "and  I  guess  there  it  will  be 
so  lonesome  that  we  won't  be  troubled  much." 

"Perhaps,"  admitted  the  Russian,  "but  we  will 
have  to  be  on  our  guard.  Of  course  keeping  up 
in  the  air  will  be  an  advantage  but  they  may-^ — * 


Il6        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

He  stopped  suddenly  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"What  were  you  going  to  say?"  inquired  Ned. 

"Oh,  it's  just  something  that  might  happen,  but 
it's  too  remote  a  possibility  to  \vork  about.  We're 
leaving  those  fellows  nicely  behind,"  he  added 
quickly,  as  though  anxious  to  change  the  subject. 

"Yes,  at  this  rate  we'll  soon  be  out  of  France," 
observed  Tom,  as  he  speeded  the  ship  along  still 
more.  The  young  inventor  wondered  what  Mr. 
Petrofsky  had  been  going  to  say,  but  soon  after 
this,  some  of  the  repaired  machinery  in  the  motor 
room  needed  adjusting,  and  the  young  inventor 
was  kept  so  busy  that  the  matter  passed  from  his 
mind. 

The  dynamo  and  magneto  were  doing  mucr. 
more  efficient  work  since  Tom  had  put  the  new 
platinum  in,  and  the  Falcon  was  making  better 
time  than  ever  before.  They  were  flying  at  a 
moderate  height,  and  could  see  wondering  men, 
women  and  children  rush  out  from  their  houses, 
to  gaze  aloft  at  the  strange  sight.  Paris  was  now 
far  behind,  and  that  night  they  were  approaching 
the  borders  of  Prussia,  as  Mr.  Petrofsky  informed 
them,  for  he  knew  every  part  of  Europe. 

The  route,  as  laid  down  by  Tom  and  the  Rus- 
sian, would  send  the  airship  skirting  the  southern 
coast  of  the  Baltic  sea,  then  north-west,  to  pass  to 


PURSUED  117 

one  side  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  then,  after  get- 
ting far  enough  to  the  north,  so  as  to  avoid  the 
big  cities,  they  would  head  due  east  for  Siberia. 

"In  that  way  I  think  we'll  avoid  any  danger 
from  the  Russian  police,"  remarked  the  exile. 

For  the  next  few  days  they  flew  steadily  on  at 
no  remarkable  speed,  as  the  extra  effort  used 
more  gasolene  than  Tom  cared  to  expend  in  the 
motor.  He  realized  that  he  would  need  all  he  had, 
and  he  did  not  want  to  have  to  buy  any  more 
until  he  was  homeward  bound,  for  the  purchase 
of  it  would  lead  to  questions,  and  might  cause 
their  detention. 

Mr.  Damon  gave  his  friends  good  meals  and 
they  enjoyed  their  trip  very  much,  though  nat- 
urally there  was  some  anxiety  about  whether  it 
would  have  a  successful  conclusion. 

"Well,  if  we  don't  find  the  platinum  mine  we'll 
rescue  your  brother,  if  there's  a  possible  chance!" 
exclaimed  Tom  one  day,  as  he  sat  in  the  pilot 
house  with  the  exile.  "Jove!  it  will  be  great  to 
drop  down,  pick  him  up,  and  fly  away  with  him 
before  those  Cossacks,  or  whoever  has  him,  know 
what's  up." 

"I'm  afraid  we  can't  make  such  a  sensational 
rescue  as  that,"  replied  Mr.  Petrofsky.  "We'll 
have  to  go  at  it  diplomatically.  That's  the  only 
way  to  get  an  exile  out  of  Siberia.  We  must  get 


118        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AfR  GLIDER 

word  to  him  somehow,  after  we  locate  him,  that 
we  are  waiting  to  help  him,  and  then  we  can  plan 
for  his  escape.  Poor  Peter!  I  do  hope  we  can 
find  him,  for  if  he  is  in  the  salt  or  sulphur  mines 
it  is  a  living  death!"  and  he  shuddered  at  the 
memory  of  his  own  exile. 

"How  do  you  expect  to  get  definite  information 
as  to  where  he  might  be?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  think  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  get  in  touch  with 
some  of  the  revolutionists,"  answered  the  Russian. 
"They  have  ways  and  means  of  finding  out  even 
state  secrets.  I  think  our  best  plan  will  be  to 
land  near  some  small  town,  when  we  get  to  the 
edge  of  Siberia.  If  we  can  conceal  the  airship, 
so  much  the  better.  Then  I  can  disguise  myself 
and  go  to  the  village." 

"Will  it  be  safe?"  inquired  the  young  inventor. 

"I'll  have  to  take  that  chance.  It's  the  only 
way,  as  I  am  the  only  one  in  our  party  who  can 
speak  Russian." 

"That's  right,"  admitted  Tom  with  a  laugh, 
"I'm  afraid  I  could  never  master  that  tongue. 
It's  as  hard  as  Chinese." 

"Not  quite,"  replied  his  friend,  "but  it  is  not 
an  easy  language  for  an  American." 

They  talked  at  some  length,  and  then  Tom 
noticing,  by  one  of  the  automatic  gages  on  the 


PURSUED  119 

wall  of  the  pilot  house,  that  some  of  the  ma- 
chinery needed  attention,  went  to  attend  to  it. 

He  was  rather  surprised,  on  emerging  from  the 
motor  compartment,  to  see  Mr.  Damon  standing 
on  the  open  after  deck  of  the  Falcon  gazing 
earnestly  toward  the  rear. 

"Star-gazing  in  the  day  time?"  asked  Tom  witH 
a  laugh. 

"Bless  my  individuality!"  exclaimed  the  odd 
man.  "How  you  startled  me,  Tom!  No,  I'm 
not  looking  at  stars,  but  I've  been  noticing  a  black 
speck  in  the  sky  for  some  time,  and  I  was  won- 
dering whether  it  was  my  eyesight,  or  whether  it 
really  is  something." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"Straight  to  the  rear,"  answered  Mr.  Damon, 
"and  it  seems  to  be  about  a  mile  up.  It's  been 
hanging  in  the  same  place  this  ten  minutes." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  spoke  Tom,  when  the  speck  had 
been  pointed  out  to  him.  "It's  there  all  right,  but 
I  guess  it's  a  bird,  an  eagle  perhaps.  Wait,  I'll 
get  a  glass  and  we'll  take  a  look." 

As  he  was  taking  the  telescope  down  from  its 
rack  in  the  pilot  house,  Mr.  Petrof  sky  saw  him. 

"What's  up?"  asked  the  Russian,  and  the  youtH 
told  him. 

"Must  be  a  pretty  big  bird  to  be  seen  at  such  a 
distance  as  it  is,"  remarked  Tom. 


120        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Maybe  it  isn't  a  bird,"  suggested  Ivan  Petrof- 
sky.  "I'll  take  a  look  myself,"  and,  showing 
something  of  alarm  in  his  manner,  he  followed 
Tom  to  where  Mr.  Damon  awaited  them.  Ned 
also  came  out  on  deck. 

Quickly  adjusting  the  glass,  Tom  focused  it  on 
the  black  speck.  It  seemed  to  have  grown  larger, 
He  peered  at  it  steadily  for  several  seconds. 

"Is  it  a  bird?"  asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"Jove!  It's  another  airship — a  big  biplane !* 
cried  Tom,  "and  there  seems  to  be  three  men  in 
her." 

"An  aeroplane!"  gasped  Ned. 

"Bless  my  deflecting  rudder!"  cried  Mr.  Da- 
mon. "An  airship  in  this  out-of-the-way  place?" 
for  they  were  flying  over  a  desolate  country. 

"And  they're  coming  right  after  us,"  added 
Tom,  as  he  continued  to  gaze. 

"I  thought  so,"  was  the  quiet  comment  of  Mr. 
Petrofsky.  "That  is  what  I  started  to  say  a  few 
days  ago,"  he  went  on,  "when  I  stopped,  as  I 
hardly  believed  it  possible.  I  thought  they  might 
-possibly  send  an  aeroplane  after  us,  as  both  the 
French  and  Russian  armies  have  a  number  of  fast 
ones.  So  they  are  pursuing  us.  I'm  afraid  rm. 
presence  will  bring  you  no  end  of  trouble." 

"Let  it  come!"  cried  Tom.  "If  they  can  catch 
up  to  us  they've  got  a  good  machine.  Come  on, 


PURSUED  121 

Ned,  let's  speed  her  up,  and  make  them  take 
more  of  our  star  dust." 

"Wait  a  minute,"  advised  the  Russian,  as  he 
took  the  telescope  from  Tom,  and  viewed  the 
ever-increasing  speck  behind  them.  "Are  you 
sure  of  the  speed  of  this  craft?"  he  asked  a 
moment  later. 

"I  never  saw  the  one  yet  I  couldn't  pull  away 
from,  even  after  giving  them  a  start,"  answered 
the  young  inventor  proudly.  "That  is  all  but  my 
little  sky  racer.  I  could  let  them  get  within  speak- 
ing distance,  and  then  pull  out  like  the  Congres- 
sional Limited  passing  a  slow  freight." 

"Then  wait  a  few  minutes,"  suggested  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky.  "That  is  an  aeroplane  all  right,  but  I 
can't  make  out  from  what  country.  I'd  like  a 
better  view,  and  if  it's  safe  we  can  come  closer.*' 

"Oh,  it's  safe  enough,"  declared  Tom.  "Ill 
get  things  in  shape  for  a  quick  move,"  and  he  hur- 
ried back  to  the  machine  room,  while  the  others 
took  turns  looking  at  the  on-coming  aeroplane. 
And  it  was  coming  on  rapidly,  showing  that  it 
had  tremendous  power,  for  it  was  a  very  large 
one,  carrying  three  men. 

"How  do  you  suppose  they  got  on  our  track?" 
asked  Ned. 

"Oh,  we  must  have  been  reported  from  time  to 
time,  as  we  flew  over  cities  or  towns,"  replied  Mr. 


122        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Petrofsky.  "You  know  we're  rather  large,  an<f 
can  be  seen  from  a  good  distance.  Then  too, 
the  whole  Russian  secret  police  force  is  at  the 
service  of  our  enemies." 

"But  we're  not  over  Russia  yet,"  said  Mr. 
Damon. 

Ivan  Petrofsky  took  the  tekseope  and  peered 
down  toward  the  earth.  They  were  not  a  great 
way  above  it,  and  at  that  moment  they  were  pass- 
ing a  small  village. 

"Can  you  tell  where  we  are?"  asked  the  odd 
man. 

"We  are  just  over  the  border  of  the  land  of  the 
Czar,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "The  imperial  flag 
is  flying  from  a  staff  in  front  of  one  of  the  build- 
ings down  there.  We  are  over  Russia." 

"And  here  comes  that  airship,**  called  Ned  sud- 
denly. 

They  gazed  back  with  alarm,  and  saw  that  it 
was  indeed  so.  The  big  aeroplane  had  come  on 
wonderfully  fast  in  the  last  few  minutes. 

"Tom!  Tom!"  cried  his  chum.  "Better  get 
ready  to  make  a  sprint." 

"I'm  all  ready,"  calmly  answered  our  hero. 
''Shall  I  go  now?" 

"If  you  can  give  us  a  few  seconds  longer  I 
may  be  able  to  tell  who  is  after  us,"  remarked 


PURSUED  123 

Mr.  Petrofsky,  turning  his  telescope  on  the  craft 
behind  them. 

"I  can  let  them  get  almost  up  to  us,  and  get 
away,"  replied  Tom. 

The  Russian  did  not  answer.  He  was  gazing 
earnestly  at  the  approaching  aeroplane.  A  mo- 
ment later  he  took  the  glass  down  from  his  eye. 

"It's  our  spy  ag^in,"  he  said.  "There  are  two 
others  with  him.  That  is  one  of  the  aeroplanes 
owned  by  the  secret  police.  They  are  stationed 
all  over  Europe,  ready  for  instant  service,  and 
they're  on  our  trail." 

The  pursuing  craft  was  so  near  that  the  oc- 
cupants could  easily  be  made  out  with  the  naked 
eye,  but  it  needed  the  glass  to  distinguish  their 
features,  and  Mr.  Petrofsky  had  done  this. 

"Shall  I  speed  up?"  cried  Tom. 

"Yes,  get  away  as  fast  as  you  can!"  shouted  the 
Russian.  "No  telling  what  they  may  do,"  and 
then,  with  a  hum  and  a  roar  the  motor  of  the 
Falcon  increased  its  speed,  and  the  big  airship 
shot  ahead. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  NIHILISTS 

FROM  the  pursuing  aircraft  came  a  series  of 
sharp  explosions  that  fairly  rattled  through  the 
clear  air. 

"Look  out  for  bombs!"  yelled  Ned. 

"Bless  my  safety  match!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"Are  they  anarchists?" 

"It's  only  their  motor  back-firing,"  cried  Tom. 
"It's  all  right,  They're  done  for  now,  we'll 
leave  them  behind." 

He  was  a  true  prophet,  for  with  a  continued 
rush  and  a  roar  the  airship  of  our  friends  opened 
up  a  big  gap  between  her  rear  rudders  and  the 
forward  planes  of  the  craft  that  was  chasing  her. 
The  three  men  were  working  frantically  to  get 
their  motor  in  shape,  but  it  was  a  useless  task. 

A  little  later,  finding  that  they  were  losing 
speed,  the  three  police  agents,  or  spies,  whatever 
they  might  be,  had  to  volplane  to  earth  and  there 
was  no  need  for  the  Falcon  to  maintain  the  ter- 
rific pace,  to  which  Tom  had  pushed  her.  The 
pursuit  was  over. 

124 


THE  NIHILISTS 


125 


"Well,  we  got  out  of  that  luckily,"  remarked 
Ned,  as  he  looked  down  to  where  the  spies  were 
making  a  landing.  "I  guess  they  won't  try  that 
trick  again." 

"I'm  afraid  they  will,"  predicted  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky.  "You  don't  know  these  government  agents 
as  I  do.  They  never  give  up.  They'll  fix  their 
engine,  and  get  on  our  trail  again." 

"Then  we'll  make  them  work  for  what  they 
get,"  put  in  Tom,  who,  having  set  the  automatic 
speed  accelerator,  had  rejoined  his  companions. 
" We'll  try  a  high  flight  and  if  they  can  pick  up 
a  trail  in  the  air,  and  come  up  to  us,  they're  good 
ones!" 

He  ran  to  the  pilot  house,  and  set  the  elevatioii 
rudder  at  its  limit.  Meanwhile  the  spies  were 
working  frantically  over  their  motor,  trying  to 
get  it  is  shape  for  the  pursuit.  But  soon  they  real- 
ized that  this  was  out  of  the  question,  for  the 
Falcon  was  far  away,  every  moment  going  higher 
and  higher,  until  she  was  lost  to  sight  beyond  the 
clouds. 

"I  guess  they'll  have  their  own  troubles  now,'* 
remarked  Ned.  "We've  seen  the  last  of  them.* 

"Don't  be  too  sure,"  spoke  the  Russian.  We 
may  have  them  after  us  again.  We're  over  the 
land  of  the  Czar  now,  and  they'll  have  everything 


126        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

their  own  way.  They'll  want  to  stop  me  at  any 
cost." 

"Do  you  think  they  suspect  that  we're  after  the 
platinum?"  asked  Tom. 

"They  may,  for  they  know  my  brother  and  I 
were  the  only  ones  who  ever  located  it,  though 
unless  I  get  in  the  exact  neighborhood  I'd  have 
trouble  myself  picking  it  out.  I  remember  some 
of  the  landmarks,  but  my  brother  is  better  at  that 
sort  of  work  than  I  am.  But  I  think  what  they 
are  mostly  afraid  of  is  that  I  have  some  designs 
on  the  life  of,  say  one  of  the  Grand  Dukes,  or 
some  high  official.  But  I  am  totally  opposed  to 
violent  measures,"  went  on  Mr.  Petrofsky.  "I 
believe  in  a  campaign  of  education,  to  gain  for 
the  down-trodden  people  what  are  their  rights." 

"Do  you  think  they  know  you  are  coming  to 
rescue  your  brother?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  don't  believe  so.  And  I  hope  not,  for  once 
they  suspected  that,  they  would  remove  him  to 
some  place  where  I  never  could  locate  him." 

Calmer  feelings  succeeded  the  excitement  caused 
by  the  pursuit,  and  our  friends,  speculating 
an  the  matter,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
aeroplane  must  have  started  from  some  Prussian 
town,  as  Mr.  Petrofsky  said  there  were  a  number 
of  Russian  secret  police  in  that  country.  The 
Falcon  was  now  speeding  along  at  a  considerable 


THE  NIHILISTS  127 

Height,  and  after  running  for  a  number  of  miles, 
sufficient  to  preclude  the  possibility  that  they 
could  be  picked  up  by  the  pursuing  aeroplane, 
[Tom  sent  his  craft  down,  as  the  rarefied  atmos- 
phere made  breathing  difficult. 

It  was  about  three  days  after  the  chase  when, 
having  carefully  studied  the  map  and  made  sev- 
eral observations  through  the  telescope  of  the 
country  over  which  they  were  traveling,  that  Ivan 
Petrofsky  said: 

"If  it  can  be  managed,  Tom,  I  think  we  ought 
to  go  down  about  here.  There  is  a  Russian  town 
not  far  away,  and  I  know  a  few  friends  there. 
There  is  a  large  stretch  of  woodland,  and  the  air- 
ship can  be  easily  concealed  there.  " 

"All  right,"  agreed  the  young  inventor,  "down 
we  go,  and  I  hope  you  get  the  information  you 
want." 

Flying  high  so  as  to  keep  out  of  the  observation 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Russian  town,  the  young 
inventor  sent  his  craft  in  a  circle  about  it,  and, 
having  seen  a  clearing  in  the  forest,  he  made  a 
landing  there,  the  Falcon  having  come  to  rest  a 
second  time  since  leaving  Shopton,  now  several 
thousand  miles  away. 

"We'll  hide  here  for  a  few  days,"  observed 
ITom,  "and  you  can  spend  as  much  time  in  town 
as  you  like,  Mr.  Petrofsky," 


I28        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

The  Russian,  disguising  himself  by  trimming 
his  beard,  and  putting  on  a  pair  of  dark  spectacles, 
went  to  the  village  that  afternoon. 

While  he  was  gone  Tom,  Ned  and  Mr.  Damon 
busied  themselves  about  the  airship,  making  a  few 
repairs  that  could  not  very  well  be  done  while  it 
was  in  motion.  As  night  came  on,  and  the  exile 
did  not  return,  Tom  began  to  get  a  little  worried, 
and  he  had  some  notion  of  going  to  seek  him,  but 
he  knew  it  would  not  be  safe. 

"He'll  come  all  right,"  declared  Ned,  as  they 
sat  down  to  supper.  All  about  them  was  an  al- 
most impenetrable  forest,  cut  here  and  there  by 
paths  along  which,  as  Mr.  Petrofsky  had  told 
them,  the  wood  cutters  drove  their  wagons. 

It  was  quite  a  surprise  therefor,  when,  as  they 
Were  leaving  the  table,  a  knock  was  heard  on  the 
Cabin  door. 

"Bless  my  electric  bell!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"Who  can  that  be?" 

"Mr.  Petrofsky  of  course,"  answered  Ned. 

"He  wouldn't  knock — he'd  walk  right  in," 
spoke  Tom,  as  he  went  to  the  door.  As  he  opened 
it  he  saw  several  dark-bearded  men  standing  there, 
and  in  their  midst  Mr.  Petrofsky. 

For  one  moment  our  hero  feared  that  his 
'friend  had  been  arrested  and  that  the  police  had 


THE  NIHILISTS  129 

come  to  take  the  rest  of  them  into  custody.  But 
a  word  from  the  exile  reassured  him. 

"These  are  some  of  my  friends,"  said  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky  simply.  "They  are  Nihilists  which  I  am 
not,  but " 

"Nihilists  yes!  Always!"  exclaimed  one  who 
spoke  English.  "Death  to  the  Czar  and  the 
Grand  Dukes!  Annihilation  to  the  government!" 

"Gently  my  friend,  gently,"  spoke  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky.  "I  am  opposed  to  violence  you  know."  And 
then,  while  his  new  friends  gazed  wonderingly 
at  the  strange  craft,  he  led  them  inside.  Torn 
and  the  others  were  hardly  able  to  comprehend 
what  was  about  to  take  place. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ON  TO  SIBERIA 

"HAS  anything  happened?"  asked  Tom.  "Are 
we  suspected?  Have  they  come  to  warn  us?" 

"No,  everthing  is  all  right,  so  far,"  answered 
Ivan  Petrofsky.  "I  didn't  have  the  success  I 
hoped  for,  and  we  may  have  to  wait  here  for  a 
few  days  to  get  news  of  my  brother.  But  these 
men  have  been  very  kind  to  me,"  he  went  on, 
"and  they  have  ways  of  getting  imformation  that 
I  have  not.  So  they  are  going  to  aid  me." 

"That's  right!"  exclaimed  the  one  who  had 
first  spoken.  "We  will  yet  win  you  to  our  cause, 
Brother  Petrofsky.  Death  to  the  Czar  and  the 
Grand  Dukes!" 

"Never!"  exclaimed  the  exile  firmly.  "Peace- 
ful measures  will  succeed.  But  I  am  grateful  for 
what  you  can  do  for  me.  They  heard  me  describe 
your  wonderful  airship,"  he  explained  to  Tom, 
"and  wanted  to  see  for  themselves." 

The  Nihilists  were  made  welcome  after  Mr. 
Petrofsky  had  introduced  them.  They  had 

130 


ON  TO  SIBERIA  I3I 

strange  and  almost  unpronounceable  names  for  the 
ears  of  our  friends,  and  I  will  not  trouble  you 
with  them,  save  to  say  that  the  one  who  spoke 
English  fairly  well,  and  who  was  the  leader,  was 
called  Nicolas  Androwsky.  There  was  much  jab- 
bering in  the  Russian  tongue,  when  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky  and  Mr.  Androwsky  took  the  others  about 
the  craft,  explaining  how  it  worked. 

"I  can't  show  you  the  air  glider,"  said  Tom, 
who  naturally  acted  as  guide,  "as  it  would  take 
too  long  to  put  together,  and  besides  there  is  not 
enough  wind  here  to  make  it  operate." 

"Then  you  need  much  wind?"  asked  Nicolas 
Androwsky. 

"The  harder  the  gale  the  better  she  flies,'* 
answered  Tom  proudly. 

"Bless  my  sand  bag,  but  that's  right!"  ex* 
claimed  Mr.  Damon,  who,  up  to  now  had  not 
taken  much  part  in  the  conversation.  He  foU 
lowed  the  party  about  the  airship,  keeping  in  the 
rear,  and  he  eyed  the  Nihilists  as  if  he  thought 
that  each  one  had  one  or  more  dynamite  bombs 
concealed  on  his  person. 

"Ha!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Androwsky,  turning  sud- 
denly to  the  odd  man.  "Are  you  not  one  of  us? 
Do  you  not  believe  that  this  terrible  kingdom 
should  be  destroyed — made  as  nothing,  and  a  new 
one  built  from  its  ashes?  Are  you  not  one  of 


132        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

us?"  and  with  a  quick  gesture  he  reached  into  his 
pocket. 

"No!  No!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Damon,  starting 
back.  "Bless  my  election  ticket!  No!  Never 
could  I  throw  a  bomb.  Please  don't  give  me 
one."  Mr.  Damon  started  to  run  away. 

"A  bomb!"  exclaimed  the  Nihilist,  and  then 
he  drew  from  his  pocket  some  pamphlets  printed 
in  Russian.  "I  have  no  bombs.  Here  are  some 
of  the  tracts  we  distribute  to  convert  unbelievers 
to  our  cause,"  he  went  on.  "Read  them  and  you 
will  understand  what  we  are  striving  for.  They 
will  convert  you,  I  am  sure." 

He  went  on,  following  the  rest  of  the  party, 
while  Mr.  Damon  dropped  back  with  Ned. 

"Bless  my  gas  meter!"  gasped  the  odd  man,  as 
fie  stared  at  the  queerly-printed  documents  in  his 
hand.  "I  thought  he  was  going  to  give  me  a 
bomb  to  throw!" 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  said  Ned  in  a  low  voice. 
"They  look  like  desperate  men,  but  probably  they 
have  suffered  many  hardships,  and  they  think 
their  way  of  righting  a  wrong  is  the  only  way. 
I  suppose  you'll  read  those  tracts,"  he  added  with 
with  a  smile. 

"Hum!  I'm  afraid  not,"  answered  Mr. 
Damon.  "I  might  just  as  well  try  to  translate  a 
'Chinese  laundry  check.  But  I'll  save  'em  for 


ON  TO  SIBERIA  133 

souvenirs,"  and  he  carefully  put  them  in  his 
pocket,  as  if  he  feared  they  might  unexpectedly 
turn  into  a  bomb  and  blow  up  the  airship. 

The  tour  of  the  craft  was  completed  and  the 
Nihilists  returned  to  the  comfortable  cabin  where, 
much  to  their  surprise,  they  were  served  with  a 
little  lunch,  Mr.  Damon  bustling  proudly  about 
from  the  table  to  the  galley,  and  serving  tea  as 
nearly  like  the  Russians  drink  it  as  possible. 

"Well,  you  certainly  have  a  wonderful  craft 
here — wonderful,"  spoke  Mr.  Androwsky.  "If 
•We  had  some  of  these  in  our  group  now,  we  could 
start  from  here,  hover  over  the  palace  of  the 
Czar,  or  one  of  the  Grand  Dukes,  drop  a  bomb, 
Bitterly  destroy  it,  and  come  back  before  any  of 
the  hated  police  would  be  any  the  wiser." 

"I'm  afraid  I  can't  lend  it  to  you,"  said  Tom, 
and  he  could  scarcely  repress  a  shudder  at  the 
terrible  ideas  of  the  Nihilists. 

"It  would  never  do,"  agreed  Ivan  Petrofsky. 
*The  campaign  of  education  is  the  only  way." 

There  were  gutteral  objections  on  the  part  of 
the  other  Russians,  and  they  turned  to  more 
theerful  subjects  of  talk. 

"What  are  your  plans?"  asked  Tom  of  the 
fcxile.  "You  say  you  can  get  no  trace  here  of 
your  brother?" 

"No,  he  seems  to  have  totally  disappeared  from 


134 


TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 


sight.  Usually  we  enemies  of  the  government 
can  get  some  news  of  a  prisoner,  but  poor  Peter 
is  either  dead,  or  in  some  obscure  mine,  which  is 
hidden  away  in  the  forests  or  mountains." 

"Maybe  he  is  in  the  lost  platinum  mine,"  sug- 
gested Ned. 

"No,  that  has  not  been  discovered,"  declared 
the  exile,  "or  my  friends  here  would  have  heard 
of  it.  That  is  still  to  be  found." 

"And  we'll  do  it,  in  the  air  glider,"  declared 
Tom.  "By  the  way,  Mr.  Petrofsky,  would  it  not 
be  a  good  plan  to  ask  your  friends  the  location  of 
the  place  where  the  winds  constantly  blow  with 
such  force.  It  occurs  to  me  that  in  some  such 
way  we  might  locate  the  mine." 

"It  would  be  of  use  if  there  was  only  one  place 
of  the  gales,"  replied  the  exile.  "But  Siberia  has 
many  such  spots  in  the  mountain  fastnesses- 
places  which,  by  the  peculiar  formation  of  the 
land,  have  constant  eddys  of  air  over  them.  No, 
the  only  way  is  for  us  to  go  as  nearly  as  possible 
to  the  place  where  my  brother  and  I  were  im- 
prisoned, and  search  there." 

"But  what  is  that  you  said  about  us  having  to 
stay  here,  to  get  some  news  of  your  brother?" 
asked  Tom. 

"I  had  hoped  to  get  some  information  here," 
resumed  Mr.  Petrofsky,  "but  my  friends  here 


ON  TO  SIBERIA  135 

are  without  news.  However,  they  are  going  to 
make  inquiries,  and  we  will  have  to  stay  here 
until  they  have  an  answer.  It  will  be  safe,  they 
think,  as  there  are  not  many  police  in  town,  and 
the  local  authorities  are  not  very  efficient.  So  the 
airship  will  remain  here,  and,  from  time  to  time 
I  will  go  to  the  village,  disguised,  and  see  if  any 
word  has  come." 

"And  we  will  bring  you  news  as  soon  as  we 
get  it,"  promised  Mr.  Androwsky.  "You  are  not 
exactly  one  of  us,  but  you  are  against  the  govern- 
ment, and,  therefor,  a  brother.  But  you  will  be 
owe  of  us  in  time." 

"Never,"  replied  the  exile  with  a  smile.  "My 
only  hope  now  is  to  get  my  brother  safely  away, 
and  then  we  will  go  and  live  in  free  America. 
But,  Tom,  I  hope  I  won't  put  you  out  by  delay- 
ing here." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it.  More  than  half  the  object  of 
our  trip  is  to  rescue  your  brother.  We  must  do 
that  first.  Now  as  to  details,"  and  they  fell  to 
discussing  plans.  It  was  late  that  night  when  the 
Nihilists  left  the  airship,  first  having  made  a  care- 
ful inspection  to  see  that  they  were  not  spied  up- 
on. They  promised  at  once  to  set  to  work  their 
secret  methods  of  getting  information. 

For  several  days  the  airship  remained  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Russian  town.  Our  friends  were 


136        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

undisturbed  by  visitors,  as  they  were  in  a  forest 
where  the  villagers  seldom  came,  and  the  nearest 
wood-road  was  nearly  half  a  mile  off. 

Every  day  either  Mr.  Petrofsky  went  in  to 
town  to  see  the  Nihilists  or  some  of  them  came 
Out  to  the  Falcon,  usually  at  night. 

"Well,  have  you  any  word  yet?"  asked  Tom, 
after  about  a  week  had  passed. 

"Nothing  yet,"  answered  the  exile,  and  his  tone 
was  a  bit  hopeless.  "But  we  have  not  given  up. 
All  the  most  likely  places  have  been  tried,  but  he 
is  not  there.  We  have  had  traces  of  him,  but 
they  are  not  fresh  ones.  He  seems  to  have  been 
moved  from  one  mine  to  another.  Probably  they 
feared  I  would  make  an  attempt  to  rescue  him. 
But  I  have  not  given  up.  He  is  somewhere  in 
Siberia." 

"And  we'll  find  him!"  cried  Tom  with  enthu- 
siasm. 

For  three  days  more  they  lingered,  and  then, 
one  night,  when  they  were  just  getting  ready  to 
retire,  there  was  a  knock  on  the  cabin  door.  Mr. 
Petrofsky  had  been  to  the  village  that  day,  and 
had  received  no  news.  He  had  only  returned 
about  an  hour  before. 

"Some  one's  knocking,"  announced  Ned,  as  if 
there  could  be  any  doubt  of  it. 

"Bless  my  burglar  alarm!"  gasped  Mr.  Damoa 


ON  TO  SIBERIA  137 

"I'll  see  who  it  is,"  volunteered  Mr.  Petrof- 
sky,  and  Tom  looked  toward  the  rack  of  loaded 
rifles,  for  that  day  a  man,  seemingly  a  wood  cut- 
ter had  passed  close  to  the  airship,  and  had  hur- 
ried off  as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost. 

The  knock  was  repeated.  It  might  be  their 
friends,  and  it  might  be 

But  Mr.  Petrofsky  solved  the  riddle  by  throw- 
ing back  the  portal,  and  there  stood  the  Nihilist, 
Nicolas  Androwsky. 

"Is  there  anything  the  matter?"  asked  the  exile 
quickly. 

"We  have  news,"  was  the  cautious  answer,  as 
the  Nihilist  slipped  in,  and  closed  the  door  be- 
hind him. 

"News  of  my  brother?" 

"Of  your  brother!  He  is  in  a  sulphur  mine  in 
the  Altai  Mountains,  near  the  city  of  Abakansk." 

"Where's  that?"  asked  Tom  for  he  had  for- 
gotten most  of  his  Russian  geography. 

"The  Altai  Mountains  are  a  range  about  the 
middle  of  Siberia,"  explained  Mr.  Petrofsky. 
"They  begin  at  the  Kirghiz  Steppes,  and  run 
west.  It  is  a  wild  and  desolate  place.  I  hope  we 
can  find  poor  Peter  alive." 

"And  this  city  of  Abakansk?"  went  on  the 
young  inventor. 

"It  is  many  miles  -from  here,  but  I  can  give 


I38        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

you  a  good  map,"  said  the  Nihilist.  "Some  of 
our  friends  are  there,"  he  added  with  a  half- 
growl.  "I  wish  we  could  rescue  all  of  them." 

"We'd  like  to,"  spoke  Tom.  "But  I  fear  it  is 
impossible.  But  now  that  we  have  a  clew,  come 
on!  Let's  start  at  once!  It  may  be  dangerous 
to  stay  here.  On  to  Siberia!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON 

THE  news  they  had  waited  for  had  come  at 
last.  It  might  be  a  false  clew,  but  it  was  some- 
thing to  work  on,  and  Tom  was  tired  of  inaction. 
Then,  too,  even  after  they  had  started,  the  pris- 
oner might  be  moved  and  they  would  have  to  trace 
him  again. 

"But  that  is  the  latest  information  we  could 
get,"  said  Mr.  Androwsky.  "It  came  through 
some  of  our  Anarchist  friends,  and  I  believe  is 
reliable.  Can  you  soon  make  a  thousand  miles 
in  your  airship?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom,  "if  I  push  her  to  the 
limit." 

"Then  do  so,"  advised  the  Nihilist,  "for  there 
is  need  of  haste.  In  making  inquiries  our  friends 
might  incur  suspicions  and  Peter  Petrofsky  may 
'be  exiled  to  some  other  place." 

"Oh,  well  get  there,"  cried  Tom.  "Ned,  see 
to  the  gas  machine.  Mr.  Damon,  you  can  help 
me  in  the  pilot  house." 

"Here  is  a  map  of  the  best  route,"  said  the 
139 


I4o        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Nihilist,  as  he  handed  one  to  Mr.  Petrofsky.  "It 
will  take  you  there  the  shortest  way.  But  how 
can  you  steer  when  high  in  the  air?" 

"By  compass,"  explained  Tom.  "We'll  get 
there,  never  fear,  and  we're  grateful  for  your 
clew.  " 

"I  never  can  thank  you  enough!"  exclaimed 
the  exile,  as  he  shook  hands  with  Mr.  Androwsky, 

The  Nihilist  left,  after  announcing  that,  in  the 
event  of  the  success  of  Tom  and  his  friends,  and 
the  rescue  of  the  exile  from  the  sulphur  mine,  it 
would  probably  become  known  to  them,  as  such 
news  came  through  the  Revolutionary  channels, 
slowly  but  surely. 

"Here  we  go!"  cried  the  young  inventor  gaily, 
as  he  turned  the  starting  lever  in  the  pilot  house, 
and  silently,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  the 
Falcon  shot  upward.  There  was  not  a  light  on 
board,  for,  though  small  signal  lamps  had  been 
kept  burning  when  the  craft  was  in  the  forest,  to 
guide  the  Nihilists  to  her,  now  that  she  was  up  in 
the  air,  and  in  motion,  it  was  feared  that  her 
presence  would  become  known  to  the  authorities 
of  the  town,  so  even  these  had  been  extinguished. 

"After  we  get  well  away  we  can  turn  on  the 
electrics,"  remarked  Tom,  "and  if  they  see  us  at 
a  distance  they  may  take  us  for  a  meteor.  But, 
so  close  as  this,  they'd  get  wise  in  a  minute." 


IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON  141 

Mr.  Damon,  who  had  done  all  that  Tom  needed 
in  the  starting  of  the  craft,  went  to  the  forward 
port  rail,  and  idly  looked  down  on  the  black  forest 
they  were  leaving.  He  could  just  make  out  the 
clearing  where  they  had  rested  for  over  a  week, 
and  he  was  startled  to  see  lights  bobbing  in  it. 

"I  say,  Mr.  Petrofsky!"  he  called.  "Did  we 
leave  any  of  our  lanterns  behind  us?" 

"I  don't  believe  so,"  answered  the  exile.  "I'll 
ask  Tom." 

"Lanterns?  No,"  answered  the  young  inventor. 
"Before  we  started  I  took  down  the  only  one  we 
had  out.  I'll  take  a  look." 

Setting  the  automatic  steering  apparatus,  he 
joined  Mr.  Damon  and  the  Russian.  The  lights 
were  now  dimly  visible,  moving  about  in  the  for- 
est clearing. 

"It's  just  as  if  they  were  looking  for  some- 
thing," said  Tom.  "Can  it  be  that  any  of  your 
Nihilist  friends,  Mr.  Petrofsky  are " 

"Friends — no  friends — enemies!"  cried  the 
Russian.  "I  understand  now !  We  got  away  just 
in  time.  Those  are  police  agents  who  are  looking 
for  us !  They  must  have  received  word  about  our 
being  there.  Androwsky  and  the  others  never 
carry  lights  when  they  go  about.  They  know  the 
country  too  well,  and  then,  too,  it  leads  to  de- 
tection. No,  those  are  police  spies.  A  few  min- 


142        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

utes  later,  and  we  would  have  been  discovered." 

"As  it  is  we're  right  over  their  heads,  and  they 
don't  know  it,"  chuckled  Tom.  The  airship  was 
moving  silently  along  before  a  good  breeze,  the 
propellers  not  having  been  started,  and  Tom  let 
her  drift  for  several  miles,  as  he  did  not  want  to 
give  the  police  spies  a  clew  by  the  noise  of  the 
motor. 

The  twinkling  lights  in  the  forest  clearing  dis- 
appeared from  sight,  and  the  seekers  went  on  in 
the  darkness. 

"Well,  we've  got  the  hardest  part  of  our  work 
yet  ahead  of  us,"  remarked  Tom  several  hours 
later  when,  the  lights  having  been  set  aglow,  they 
were  gathered  in  the  main  cabin.  There  was  no 
danger  of  being  seen  now,  for  they  were  quite 
high. 

"We've  done  pretty  well,  so  far,"  commented 
Ned.  "I  think  we  will  have  easier  work  rescuing 
Mr.  Petrofsky's  brother  than  in  locating  the 
mine." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  the  Rus- 
sian. "It  is  almost  impossible  to  rescue  a  person 
from  Siberia.  Of  course  it  is  not  going  to  be 
easy  to  locate  the  lost  mine,  but  as  for  that  we 
can  keep  on  searching,  that  is  if  the  air  glider 
works,  but  there  are  so  many  forces  to  fight 
against  in  rescuing  a  prisoner." 


IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON  143 

They  had  a  long  journey  ahead  of  them,  and 
not  an  easy  route  to  follow,  but  as  the  days  passed, 
and  they  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  their  goal, 
they  became  more  and  more  eager. 

They  were  passing  over  a  desolate  country,  for 
they  avoided  the  vicinity  of  large  towns  and 
cities. 

"I  wonder  when  we'll  strike  Siberia?"  mused 
Tom  one  afternoon,  as  they  sat  on  the  outer  deck, 
enjoying  the  air. 

"At  this  rate  of  progress,  very  soon."  an- 
swered the  exile,  after  glancing  at  the  map.  "We 
should  be  at  the  foot  of  the  Ural  mountains  in  a 
few  hours,  and  across  them  in  the  night.  Then 
we  will  be  in  Siberia." 

And  he  was  right,  for  just  as  supper  was  being 
served,  Ned,  who  had  been  making  observations 
with  a  telescope,  exclaimed : 

"These  must  be  the  Urals!" 

Mr.  Petrofsky  seized  the  glass. 

"They  are,"  he  announced.  "We  will  cross 
between  Orsk  and  Iroitsk.  A  safe  place.  In  the 
morning  we  will  be  in  Siberia — the  land  of  the 
exiles." 

And  they  were,  morning  seeing  them  flying 
over  a  most  desolate  stretch  of  landscape.  On- 
ward they  flew,  covering  verst  after  verst  of  lone- 
liness. 


144        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"I'm  going  to  put  on  a  little  more  speed,"  an- 
nounced Tom,  after  a  visit  to  the  storeroom, 
where  were  kept  the  reserve  tanks  of  gasolene. 
"I've  got  more  fluid  than  I  thought  I  had,  and  as 
we're  on  the  ground  now  I  want  to  hurry  things. 
I'm  going  to  make  better  time,"  and  he  yanked 
over  the  lever  of  the  accelerator,  sending  the 
Falcon  ahead  at  a  rapid  rate. 

All  day  this  was  kept  up,  and  they  were  just 
making  an  observation  to  determine  their  position, 
along  toward  supper  time,  when  there  came  the 
sound  of  another  explosion  from  the  motor  room. 

"Bless  my  safety  valve!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"Something  has  gone  wrong  again." 

Tom  ran  to  the  motor,  and,  at  the  same  time 
the  Falcon  which  was  being  used  as  an  aeroplane 
and  not  as  a  dirigible,  began  to  sink. 

"We're  going  down!"  cried  Ned. 

"Well,  you  know  what  to  do."  shouted  his 
chum.  "The  gas  bag!  Turn  on  the  generator!" 

Ned  ran  to  it,  but,  in  spite  of  his  quick  action, 
the  craft  continued  to  slide  downward. 

"She  won't  work!"  he  cried. 

"Then  the  intake  pipe  must  be  stopped!"  an- 
swered the  young  inventor.  "Never  mind,  I'll 
volplane  to  earth  and  we  can  make  repairs.  That 
magneto  has  gone  out  of  business  again." 

"Don't  land  here!"  cried  Ivan  Petrofsky. 


IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON  145 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  we  are  approaching  a  large  town — 
Owbinsk  I  think  it  is — the  police  there  will  be 
sure  to  get  us.  Keep  on  to  the  forest  again!" 

"I  can't !"  cried  Tom.  "We've  got  to  go  down, 
police  or  no  police." 

Running  to  the  pilot  house,  he  guided  the  craft 
so  that  it  would  safely  volplane  to  earth.  They 
could  all  see  that  now  they  were  approaching  a 
fairly  large  town,  and  would  probably  land  on  its 
outskirts.  Through  the  glass  Ned  could  make  out 
people  staring  up  at  the  strange  sight. 

"They'll  be  ready  to  receive  us,"  he  announced 
grimly. 

"I  hope  they  have  no  dynamite  bombs  for  us," 
murmured  Mr.  Damon.  "Bless  my  watch  chain! 
I  must  get  rid  of  that  Nihilist  literature  I  have 
about  me,  or  they'll  take  me  for  one,"  and  he  tore 
up  the  tracts,  and  scattered  them  in  the  air. 

Meanwhile  the  Falcon  continued  to  descend. 

"Maybe  I  can  make  quick  repairs,  and  get  away 
before  they  realize  who  we  are,"  said  Tom,  as  he 
got  ready  for  the  landing. 

They  came  down  in  a  big  field,  and,  almost 
before  the  bicycle  wheels  had  ceased  revolving, 
under  the  application  of  the  brakes,  several  men 
came  running  toward  them. 

"Here  they  come!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 


I46        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"They  are  only  farmers,"  said  the  exile.  He 
had  donned  his  dark  glasses  again,  and  looked 
like  anything  but  a  Russian. 

"Lively,  Ned!"  cried  Tom.  "Let's  see  if  we 
can't  make  repairs  and  get  off  again." 

The  two  lads  frantically  began  work,  and  they 
soon  had  the  magneto  in  running  order.  They 
could  have  gone  up  as  an  aeroplane,  leaving  the 
repairs  to  the  gas  bag  to  be  made  later  but,  just 
as  they  were  ready  to  start,  there  came  galloping 
out  a  troop  of  Cossack  soldiers.  Their  com- 
mander called  something  to  them. 

"What  is  he  saying?"  cried  Tom  to  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky. 

"He  is  telling  them  to  surround  us  so  that  we 
can  not  get  a  running  start,  such  as  we  need  to 
go  up.  Evidently  he  understands  aeroplanes." 

"Well,  I'm  going  to  have  a  try,"  declared  the 
young  inventor. 

He  jumped  to  the  pilot  house,  yelling  to  Ned 
to  start  the  motor,  but  it  was  too  late.  They 
were  hemmed  in  by  a  cordon  of  cavalry,  and  it 
would  have  been  madness  to  have  rushed  the 
Falcon  into  them,  for  she  would  have  been 
wrecked,  even  if  Tom  could  have  succeeded  in 
sending  her  through  the  lines. 

"I  guess  it's  all  up  with  us,"  groaned  Ned. 

And  it  seemed  to,  for,  a  moment  later,  an  of- 


IN  A  RUSSIAN  PRISON  147 

ficer  and  several  aides  galloped  forward,  calling 
out  something  in  Russian. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Tom. 

"He  says  we  are  under  arrest,"  translated  the 
exile. 

"What  for?"  demanded  the  young  inventor. 

Ivan  Petrofsky  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"It  is  of  little  use  to  ask — now,"  he  answered. 
"It  may  be  we  have  violated  some  local  law,  and 
can  pay  a  fine  and  go,  or  we  may  be  taken  for 
just  what  we  are,  or  foreign  spies,  which  we  are 
not.  It  is  best  to  keep  quiet,  and  go  with  them." 

"Go  where?"  cried  Tom. 

"To  prison,  I  suppose,"  answered  the  exile. 
"Keep  quiet,  and  leave  it  to  me.  I  will  do  all  I 
can.  I  don't  believe  they  will  recognize  me." 

"Bless  my  search  warrant!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"In  a  Russian  prison!  That  is  terrible!" 

A  few  minutes  later,  expostulations  having  been 
useless,  our  friends  were  led  away  between  guards 
who  carried  ugly  looking  rifles,  and  who  looked 
more  ugly  and  menacing  themselves.  Then  the 
doors  of  the  Russian  prison  of  Owbinsk  closed 
on  Tom  and  his  friends,  while  their  airship  was 
left  at  the  mercy  of  their  enemies. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

LOST  IN  A  SALT  MINE 

THE  blow  had  descended  so  suddenly  that  it 
was  paralyzing.  Tom  and  his  friends  did  not 
know  what  to  do,  but  they  saw  the  wisdom  of  the 
course  of  leaving  everything  to  Ivan  Petrofsky. 
He  was  a  Russian,  and  he  knew  the  Russian  police 
ways — to  his  sorrow. 

"I'm  not  afraid,  said  Tom,  when  they  had  been 
locked  in  a  large  prison  room,  evidently  set  apart 
for  the  use  of  political,  rather  than  criminal,  of- 
fenders. "We're  United  States  citizens,  and  once 
our  counsel  hears  of  this — as  he  will — there'll  be 
some  merry  doings  in  Oskwaski,  or  whatever  they 
call  this  place.  But  I  am  worried  about  what  they 
may  do  to  the  Falcon." 

"Have  no  fears  on  that  score,"  said  the  Rus- 
sian exile.  "They  know  the  value  of  a  good  air- 
ship, and  they  won't  destroy  her." 

"What  will  they  do  then?"  asked  Tom. 

"Keep  her  for  their  own  use,  perhaps." 

"Never!"  cried  Tom.    "I'll  destroy  her  first!" 
748 


LOST  IN  A  SALT  MINE  149 

"If  you  get  the  chance!"  interposed  the  exile. 

"But  we're  American  citizens!"  cried  Tom, 
"and " 

"You  forget  that  I  am  not,"  interruped  Mr. 
Petrofsky.  "I  can't  claim  the  protection  of  your 
flag,  and  that  is  why  I  wish  to  remain  unknown. 
We  must  act  quietly.  The  more  trouble  we  make, 
the  more  important  they  will  know  us  to  be.  If 
we  hope  to  accomplish  anything  we  must  act 
cautiously. " 

"But  my  airship!"  cried  Tom. 

'"They  won't  do  anything  to  that  right  away," 
declared  the  Russian  in  a  whisper  for  he  knew 
sometimes  the  police  listened  to  the  talk  of  pris- 
oners. "I  think,  from  what  I  overheard  when 
they  arrested  us,  that  we  either  trespassed  on  the 
grounds  of  some  one  in  authority,  who  had  us 
taken  in  out  of  spite,  or  they  fear  we  may  be 
English  or  French  spies,  seeking  to  find  out  Rus- 
sian secrets." 

They  were  served  with  food  in  their  prison, 
but  to  all  inquiries  made  by  Ivan  Petrofsky,  eva- 
sive answers  were  returned.  He  spoke  in  poor, 
broken  Russian,  so  that  he  would  not  be  taken 
for  a  native  of  that  country.  Had  he  been,  he 
would  have  at  once  been  in  great  danger  of  being 
accused  as  an  escaped  exile. 

Finally  a  man  who,  the  exile  whispered  to  his 


150        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

companions,  was  the  local  governor,  came  to 
their  prison.  He  eagerly  asked  questions  as  to 
their  mission,  and  Mr.  Petrofsky  answered  them 
diplomatically. 

"I  don't  think  he'll  make  much  out  of  what  I 
told  him,"  said  the  exile  when  the  governor  had 
gone.  "I  let  him  think  we  were  scientists,  or  pleas- 
ure seekers,  airshipping  for  our  amusement.  He 
tried  to  tangle  me  up  politically,  but  I  knew 
enough  to  keep  out  of  such  traps." 

"What's  going  to  become  of  us?"  asked  Ned. 

"We  will  be  detained  a  few  days — until  they 
find  out  more  about  us.  Their  spies  are  busy,  I 
have  no  doubt,  and  they  are  telegraphing  all  over 
Europe  about  us." 

"What  about  my  airship?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  spoke  of  that,"  answered  the  exile.  "I 
said  you  were  a  well-known  inventor  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  if  any  harm  came  to  the 
craft  the  Russian  Government  would  not  only  be 
held  responsible,  but  that  the  governor  himself 
would  be  liable,  and  I  said  that  it  cost  much 
money.  That  touched  him,  for,  in  spite  of  their 
power,  these  Russians  are  miserably  paid.  He 
didn't  want  to  have  to  make  good,  and  if  it  de- 
veloped that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  arresting 
us,  his  superiors  would  disclaim  all  responsibility, 
and  let  him  shoulder  the  blame.  Oh,  all  is  not 


LOST  IN  A  SALT  MINE  151 

lost  yet,  though  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  things." 

Indeed  it  began  to  seem  rather  black  for  our 
friends,  for,  that  night  they  were  taken  from  the 
fairly  comfortable,  large,  prison  room,  and  con- 
fined in  small  stone  cells  down  in  a  basement. 
They  were  separated,  but  as  the  cells  adjoined 
on  a  corridor  they  could  talk  to  each  other.  With 
some  coarse  food,  and  a  little  water,  Tom  and 
his  friends  were  left  alone. 

"Say  I  don't  like  this!"  cried  our  hero,  after  a 
pause. 

"Me  either,"  chimed  in  Ned. 

"Bless  my  burglar  alarm!"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Damon.  "It's  an  awful  disgrace!  If  my  wife 
ever  heard  of  me  being  in  jail " 

"She  may  never  hear  of  it!"  interposed  Tom. 

"Bless  my  heart!"  cried  the  odd  man.  "Don't 
say  such  things." 

They  discussed  their  plight  at  length,  but 
nothing  could  be  done,  and  they  settled  themselves 
to  uneasy  slumber.  For  two  days  they  were  thus 
imprisoned,  and  all  of  Mr.  Petrofsky's  demands 
that  they  be  given  a  fair  trial,  and  allowed  to 
know  the  nature  of  the  charge  against  them,  went 
for  naught.  No  one  came  to  see  them  but  a  vil- 
lainous looking  guard,  who  brought  them  their 
poor  meals.  The  governor  ignored  them,  and 
Mr.  Petrofsky  did  not  know  what  to  think. 


152        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Well,  I'm  getting  sick  of  this!"  exclaimed 
Tom  I  wish  I  knew  where  my  airship  was." 

"I  fancy  it's  in  the  same  place,"  replied  the  ex- 
ile. "From  the  way  the  governor  acted  I  think 
he'd  be  afraid  to  have  it  moved.  It  might  be 
damaged.  If  I  could  only  get  word  to  some  of 
my  Revolutionary  friends  it  might  do  some  good, 
but  I  guess  I  can't.  We'll  just  have  to  wait." 

Another  day  passed,  and  nothing  happened. 
But  that  night,  when  the  guard  came  to  bring 
their  suppers,  something  did  occur, 

"Hello !  we've  got  a  new  one !"  exclaimed  Tom, 
as  he  noted  the  man.  "Not  so  bad  looking,  either.11 

The  man  peered  into  his  cell,  and  said  some* 
thing  in  Russian, 

"Nothing  doing,"  remarked  the  young  inventot 
with  a  short  laugh.  "Nixy  on  that  jabbering." 

But,  no  sooner  had  the  man's  words  penetrate<£ 
to  the  cell  of  Ivan  Petrofsky,  that  the  exile  callecj 
out  something.  The  guard  started,  hastened  t<? 
that  cell  door,  and  for  a  few  seconds  there  was  an 
excited  dialogue  in  Russian. 

"Boys!  Mr.  Damon!  We're  saved!"  sudden* 
ly  cried  out  Mr.  Petrofsky. 

"Bless  my  door  knob!  You  don't  say  so!n 
gasped  the  odd  man.  "How?  Has  the  Czar 
sent  orders  to  release  us." 

"No,  but  somehow  my  Revolutionary  friends 


LOST  IN  A  SALT  MINE  153 

have  heard  about  my  arrest,  and  they  have  ar- 
ranged for  our  release — secretly  of  course.  This 
guard  is  affiliated  with  the  Nihilist  group  that 
got  on  the  trail  of  my  brother.  He  bribed  the 
other  guard  to  let  him  take  his  place  for  to-night, 
and  now " 

"Yes!     What  is  it?"  cried  Tom. 

"He's  going  to  open  the  cell  doors  and  let  us 
out!" 

"But  how  can  we  get  past  the  other  guards,  up- 
stairs?" asked  Ned. 

"We're  not  going  that  way,"  explained  Mr. 
Petrofsky.  "There  is  a  secret  exit  from  this  cor- 
ridor, through  a  tunnel  that  connects  with  a  large 
salt  mine.  Once  we  are  in  there  we  can  make  our 
Way  out.  We'll  soon  be  free." 

"Ask  him  if  he's  heard  anything  of  my  air- 
ship?" asked  Tom.  Mr.  Petrofsky  put  the  ques- 
tion rapidly  in  Russian  and  then  translated  the 
answer. 

"It's  in  the  same  place." 

"Hurray!"  cried  Tom. 

Working  rapidly,  the  Nihilist  guard  soon  had 
the  cell  doors  open,  for  he  had  the  keys,  and  our 
friends  stepped  out  into  the  corridor. 

"This  way,"  called  Ivan  Petrofsky,  as  he  fol- 
lowed their  liberator,  who  spoke  in  whispers. 
"He  says  he  will  lead  us  to  the  salt  mine,  tell  us 


154        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

how  to  get  out  and  then  he  must  make  his  own 
escape. " 

"Then  he  isn't  coming  with  us?"  asked  Ned. 

"No,  it  would  not  be  safe.  But  he  will  tell  us 
how  to  get  out.  It  seems  that  years  ago  some 
prisoners  escaped  this  way,  and  the  authorities 
closed  up  the  tunnel.  But  a  cave-in  of  the  salt 
mine  opened  a  way  into  it  again." 

They  followed  their  queer  guide,  who  led  them 
down  the  corridor.  He  paused  at  the  end,  and 
then,  diving  in  behind  a  pile  of  rubbish,  he  pulled 
away  some  boards.  A  black  opening,  barely  large 
enough  for  a  man  to  walk  in  upright,  was  dis- 
closed. 

"In  there?"  cried  Tom. 

"In  there,"  answered  Mr.  Petrofsky.  He  and 
the  guard  murmured  their  good-byes,  and  then, 
with  a  lighted  candle  the  faithful  Nihilist  had 
provided,  and  with  several  others  in  reserve,  our 
friends  stepped  into  the  blackness.  They  could 
hear  the  board  being  pulled  back  into  place  be- 
hind them. 

"Forward!"  cried  the  exile,  and  forward  they 
went. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  journey,  being  through 
an  uneven  tunnel  in  the  darkness.  Half  a  mile 
later  they  emerged  into  a  large  salt  mine,  that 
seemed  to  be  directly  beneath  the  town.  Work 


LOST  IN  A  S 'ALT  MINE  155 

in  this  part  had  been  abandoned  long  ago,  all  the 
salt  there  was  left  being  in  the  shape  of  large  pil- 
lars, that  supported  the  roof.  It  sparkled  dully 
in  the  candle  light. 

"Now  let  me  see  if  I  remember  the  turnings," 
murmured  Mr.  Petrofsky.  "He  said  to  keep  on 
for  half  an  hour,  and  we  would  come  out  in  a 
little  woods  not  far  from  where  our  airship  was 
anchored." 

Twisting  and  turning,  here  and  there  in  the 
semi-darkness,  stumbling,  and  sometimes  falling 
over  the  uneven  floor,  the  little  party  went  on. 

"Did  you  say  half  an  hour?"  asked  Tom,  after 
a  while. 

*Yes,"  replied  the  Russian. 

"We've  been  longer  than  that,"  announced  the 
young  inventor,  after  a  look  at  his  watch.  "It's 
over  an  hour." 

"Bless  my  timetable!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 

"Are  you  sure?"  asked  Mr.  Petrofsky. 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom  in  a  low  voice. 

The  Russian  looked  about  him,  flashing  the 
Candle  on  several  turnings  and  tunnels.  Suddenly 
Ned  uttered  a  cry. 

"Why,  we  passed  this  place  a  little  while  be- 
fore!" he  said.  "I  remember  this  pillar  that 
looks  like  two  men  wrestling!" 


156        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

It  was  true.  They  all  remembered  it  when  they 
saw  it  again. 

"Back  in  the  same  place!"  mused  the  Russian. 
"Then  we  have  doubled  on  our  tracks.  I'm  afraid 
we're  lost!" 

"Lost  in  a  Russian  salt  mine!"  gasped  Tom, 
and  his  words  sounded  ominous  in  that  gloomy 
place. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE    ESCAPE 

FOR  a  space  of  several  seconds  no  one  moved 
or  spoke.  In  the  flickering  light  of  the  candle 
they  looked  at  one  another,  and  then  at  the  fan- 
tastic pillars  of  salt  all  about  them.  Then  Mr. 
Damon  started  forward. 

"Bless  my  trolley  car !"  he  exclaimed.  "It  isn't 
possible!  There  must  be  some  mistake.  If  we'll 
keep  on  we'll  come  out  all  right.  You  know  your 
way  about,  don't  you,  Mr.  Petrofsky?" 

"I  thought  I  did,  from  what  the  guard  told  us. 
But  it  seems  I  must  have  taken  a  wrong  turning." 

"Then  it's  easily  remedied,"  suggested  Tom. 
"All  we'll  have  to  do  will  be  to  go  to  the  place 
where  we  started,  and  begin  over  again. " 

"Of  course,"  agreed  Ned,  and  they  all  seemed 
more  cheerful. 

"And  if  we  start  out  once  more,  and  get  lost 
again,  then  what?"  asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"Well,  if  worsf^ comes  to  worst,  we  can  go 
back  in  the  tunnel,  go  to  our  cells  and  ask  the 


158        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

guard  to  come  with  us  and  show  us  the  way," 
went  on  Tom. 

"Never!"  cried  the  exile.  "It  would  be  the 
most  dangerous  thing  in  the  world  to  go  back  to 
the  prison.  Our  escape  has  probably  been  dis- 
covered by  this  time,  and  to  return  would  only- 
be  to  put  our  heads  in  the  noose.  We  must  keep 
on  at  any  cost!" 

"But  if  we  can't  get  out,"  suggested  Tom,  "and 
if  we  haven't  anything  to  eat  or  drink,  we " 

He  did  not  finish,  but  they  all  knew  what  he 
meant. 

"Oh,  we'll  get  out!"  declared  Ned,  who  was 
something  of  an  optimist.  "You've  been  in  salt 
mines  before,  haven't  you,  Mr.  Petrofsky?" 

"Yes,  I  was  condemned  to  one  once,  but  it  was 
not  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  it  was  not  an 
abandoned  one.  I  imagine  this  was  only  an  iso- 
lated mine,  and  that  there  are  no  others  near  it, 
so  when  they  abandoned  it,  after  all  the  salt  was 
taken  out,  most  people  forgot  about  it.  I  re- 
member once  a  party  of  prisoners  were  lost  .in  a 
large  salt  mine,  and  were  missed  for  several 
days." 

"What  happened  to  them?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  don't  like  to  talk  about  it,"  replied  the  Rus- 
sian with  a  shudder. 


THE  ESCAPE  159 

"Bless  my  soul!  Was  it  as  bad  as  that?" 
asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"It  was,"  replied  the  exile.  "But  now  let's  see 
if  we  can  find  our  way  back,  and  start  afresh. 
I'll  be  more  careful  next  time,  and  watch  the 
turns  more  closely." 

But  he  did  not  get  the  chance.  They  could  not 
find  the  tunnel  whence  they  had  started.  Turn  after 
turn  they  took,  down  passage  after  passage  some- 
times in  such  small  ones  that  they  almost  had  to 
crawl. 

But  it  was  of  no  use.  They  could  not  find  their 
way  back  to  the  starting  place,  and  they  could  not 
find  the  opening  of  the  mine.  They  had  used  two 
of  the  slow  burning  candles  and  they  had  only 
half  a  dozen  or  so  left.  When  these  were 
gone 

But  they  did  not  like  to  think  of  that,  and 
stumbled  on  and  on.  They  did  not  talk  much,  for 
they  were  too  worried.  Finally  Ned  gasped: 

"I'd  give  a  good  deal  for  a  drink  of  water." 

"So  would  I,"  added  his  chum.  "But  what's 
the  use  of  wishing?  If  there  was  a  spring  down 
here  it  would  be  salt  water.  But  I  know  what  I 
would  do — if  I  could." 

"What?"  asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"Go  back  to  the  prison.  At  least  we  wouldn't 
starve  there,  and  we'd  have  something  to  drink. 


l6o        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

If  they  kept  us  we  know  we  could  get  free — some- 
time." 

"Perhaps  never!"  exclaimed  Ivan  Petrofsky. 
"It  is  better  to  keep  on  here,  and,  as  for  me,  I 
would  rather  die  here  than  go  back  to  a  Russian 
prison.  We  must — we  shall  get  out!" 

But  it  was  idle  talk.  Gradually  they  lost  track 
of  time  as  they  staggered  on,  and  they  hardly 
knew  whether  a  day  had  passed  or  whether  it 
was  but  a  few  hours  since  they  had  been  lost. 

Of  their  sufferings  in  that  salt  mine  I  shall  not 
go  into  details.  There  are  enough  unpleasant 
things  in  this  world  without  telling  about  that. 
They  must  have  wandered  around  for  at  least  a 
day  and  a  half,  and  in  all  that  while  they  had 
not  a  drop  of  water,  and  not  a  thing  to  eat. 
Wait,  though,  at  last  in  their  desperation  they 
did  gnaw  the  tallow  candles,  and  that  served  to 
keep  them  alive,  and,  in  a  measure,  alleviate  their 
awful  sufferings  from  thirst. 

Back  and  forth  they  wandered,  up  and  down 
in  the  galleries  of  the  old  salt  mine.  They  were 
merely  hoping  against  hope. 

"It's  worse  than  the  underground  city  of  gold," 
said  Ned  in  hollow  tones,  as  he  staggered  on. 
"Worse — much  worse."  His  head  was  feeling 
li^ht.  No  one  answered  him. 

It  was,  as  they  learned  later,  just  about  two 


THE  ESCAPE  l6l 

rdays  after  the  time  when  they  entered  the  mine 
that  they  managed  to  get  out.  Forty-eight  hours, 
most  of  them  of  intense  suffering.  They  were 
burning  their  last  candle,  and  when  that  was  out 
they  knew  they  would  have  the  horrors  of  dark- 
ness to  fight  against,  as  well  as  those  of  hunger 
and  thirst. 

But  fate  was  kind  to  them.  How  they  managed 
to  hit  on  the  right  gallery  they  did  not  know,  but, 
as  they  made  a  turn  around  an  immense  pillar  of 
salt  Tom,  who  was  walking  weakly  in  advance, 
suddenly  stopped. 

"Look!  Look!"  he  whispered.  "Another 
candle!  Someone — someone  is  searching  for  us! 
We  are  saved!" 

"It  may  be  the  police!"  said  Ned. 

"That  is  not  a  candle,"  spoke  the  Russian  in 
hollow  tones  as  he  looked  to  where  Tom  pointed, 
to  a  little  glimmer  of  light.  "It  is  a  star.  Friends, 
we  are  saved,  and  by  Providence !  That  is  a  star, 
shining  through  the  opening  of  the  mine.  We  are 
saved!" 

Eagerly  they  pressed  forward,  and  they  had 
not  gone  far  before  they  knew  that  the  exile  was 
right.  They  felt  the  cool  night  wind  on  their 
hot  cheeks. 

"Thank  heaven!"  gasped  Tom,  as  he  pushed 
on. 


162        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

A  moment  later,  climbing  over  the  rusted  rails 
on  which  the  mine  cars  had  run  with  their  loads 
of  salt,  they  staggered  into  the  open.  They  were 
free — under  the  silent  stars! 

"And  now,  if  we  can  only  find  the  airship," 
said  Tom  faintly,  "we  can " 

"Look  there!"  whispered  Ned,  pointing  to  a 
patch  of  deeper  blackness  that  the  surrounding 
night.  "What's  that." 

"The  Falcon!"  gasped  Tom.  He  started  to- 
ward her,  for  she  was  but  a  short  distance  from  a 
little  clump  of  trees  into  which  they  had  emerged 
from  the  opening  of  the  salt  mine.  There,  on 
the  same  little  ,pla»e  where  they  had  landed  in 
her  was  the  airship.  She  had  not  been  moved. 

"Wait!"  cautioned  Ivan  Petrofsky.  "She  may 
be  guarded." 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  than  there  walked  into 
the  faint  starlight  on  the  side  of  the  ship  nearest 
them,  a  Cossack  soldier  with  his  rifle  over  his 
shoulder. 

"We  can't  get  her!"  gasped  Ned. 

"We've  got  to  get  her !"  declared  Tom.  "We'll 
die  if  we  don't!" 

"But  the  guards!  They'll  arrest  us!"  said  the 
exile. 

An  instant  later  a  second  soldier  joined  the 
first,  and  they  could  be  seen  conversing.  They 


THE  ESCAPE  163 

then  resumed  their  pacing  around  the  anchored 
craft.  Evidently  they  were  waiting  for  the  es- 
caped prisoners  to  come  up  when  they  would 
give  the  alarm  and  apprehend  them. 

"What  can  we  do?"  asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"I  have  a  plan,"  said  Tom  weakly.  "It's  the 
only  chance,  for  we're  not  strong  enough  to  tackle 
them.  Every  time  they  go  around  on  the  far  side 
of  the  airship  we  must  creep  forward.  When  they 
come  on  this  side  we'll  lie  down.  I  doubt  if  they 
can  see  us.  Once  we  are  on  board  we  can  cut 
the  ropes,  and  start  off.  Everything  is  all  ready 
for  a  start  if  they  haven't  monkeyed  with  her,  and 
I  don't  think  they  have.  We've  got  room  enough 
to  run  along  as  an  aeroplane  and  mount  upward. 
It's  our  only  hope." 

The  others  agreed,  and  they  put  the  plan  into 
operation.  When  the  Cossack  guards  were  out  of 
sight  the  escaped  prisoners  crawled  forward,  and 
when  the  soldiers  came  into  view  our  friends 
waited  in  silence. 

It  took  several  minutes  of  alternate  creeping 
and  waiting  to  do  this,  but  it  was  accomplished 
at  last  and  unseen  they  managed  to  slip  aboard 
Then  it  was  the  work  of  but  a  moment  to  cut  the 
restraining  ropes. 

Silently  Tom  crept  to  the  motor  room.  He  had 
%to  work  in  absolute  darkness,  for  the  gleam  of  a 


164        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 


light  would  have  drawn  the  fire  of  the 
But  the  youth  knew  every  inch  of  his  invention. 
The  only  worriment  was  whether  or  not  the 
motor  would  start  up  after  the  break-down,  not 
having  been  run  since  it  was  so  hastily  repaired. 
Still  he  could  only  try. 

He  looked  out,  and  saw  the  guards  pacing  back 
and  forth.  They  did  not  know  that  the  much- 
sought  prisoners  were  within  a  few  feet  of  them. 

Ned  was  in  the  pilot  house.  He  could  see  a 
clear  field  in  front  of  him. 

Suddenly  Tom  pulled  the  starting  lever.  There 
was  a  little  clicking,  followed  by  silence.  Was  the 
motor  going  to  revolve?  It  answered  the  next 
moment  with  a  whizz  and  a  roar. 

"Here  we  go!"  cried  the  young  inventor,  as 
the  big  machine  shot  forward  on  her  flight.  "Now 
let  them  stop  us!" 

Forward  she  went  until  Ned,  knowing  by  the 
speed  that  she  had  m'omentum  enough,  tilted  the 
elevation  rudder,  and  up  she  shot,  while  behind, 
on  the  ground,  wildly  running  to  and  fro,  and 
firing  their  rifles,  were  the  two  amazed  guards. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE  RESCUE 

"HAVE  we — have  we  time  to  get  a  drink?" 
gasped  Ned,  when  the  aeroplane,  now  on  a  level 
keel,  had  been  shooting  forward  about  three  min- 
utes. Already  it  was  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
rifles. 

"Yes,  but  take  only  a  little,"  cautioned  Tom. 
"Oh!  it  doesn't  seem  possible  that  we  are  free!" 

He  switched  on  a  few  interior  lights,  and  by 
their  glow  the  faint  and  starving  platinum-seekers 
found  water  and  food.  Their  craft  had,  appar- 
ently, not  been  touched  in  their  absence,  and  the 
machinery  ran  well. 

Cautiously  they  ate  and  drank,  feeling  their 
strength  come  back  to  them,  and  then  they  re- 
moved the  traces  of  their  terrible  imprisonment, 
and  set  about  in  ease  and  comfort,  talking  of 
what  they  had  suffered. 

Onward  sped  the  aeroplane,  onward  through 
the  night,  and  then  Tom,  having  set  the  auto- 
matic steering  gear,  all  fell  into  heavy  slumbers 
that  lasted  until  far  into  the  next  day. 

165 


166        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

When  the  young  inventor  awoke  he  looked 
below  and  could  see  nothing — nothing  but  a  sea 
of  mist. 

"What's  this?"  he  cried.  "Are  we  above  the 
clouds,  or  in  a  fog  over  some  inland  sea?" 

He  was  quite  worried,  until  Ivan  Petrofsky  in- 
formed him  that  they  were  in  the  midst  of  a  dense 
fog,  which  was  common  over  that  part  of  Siberia, 

"But  where  are  we?"  asked  Ned. 

"About  over  the  province  of  Irtutsk,"  was  the 
answer.  "We  are  heading  north,"  he  went  on, 
as  he  looked  at  the  compass,  "and  I  think  about 
right  to  land  somewhere  near  where  my  brother 
is  confined  in  the  sulphur  mine." 

"That's  so;  we've  got  to  drop,"  said  Tom. 
"I  must  get  the  gas  pipe  repaired.  I  wish  we 
could  see  over  what  sort  of  a  place  we  were  so  as 
to  know  whether  it  would  be  safe  to  land.  I 
wish  the  mist  would  clear  away." 

It  did,  about  noon,  and  they  noted  that  they 
were  over  a  desolate  stretch  of  country,  in  which 
it  would  be  safe  to  make  a  landing. 

Bringing  the  aeroplane  down  on  as  smooth  a 
spot  as  he  could  pick  out,  Tom  and  Ned  were 
soon  at  work  clearing  out  the  clogged  pipe  of  the 
gas  generator.  They  had  to  take  it  out  in  the 
open  air,  as  the  fumes  were  unpleasant,  and  it 
was  while  working  over  it  that  they  saw  a  shadow 


THE  RESCUE  167 

thrown  on  the  ground  in  front  of  them.  Startled 
they  looked  up,  to  see  a  burly  Russian  staring  at 
them. 

The  sudden  appearance  of  a  man  in  that  lonely 
spot,  his  calm  regard  of  the  lads,  his  stealthy  ap- 
proach, which  had  made  it  possible  for  him  to  be 
almost  upon  them  before  they  were  aware  of 
his  presence,  all  this  made  them  suspicious  of  dan- 
ger. Tom  gave  a  quick  glance  about,  however, 
and  saw  no  others — no  Cossack  soldiers,  and  as 
he  looked  a  second  time  at  the  man  he  noted  that 
he  was  poorly  dressed,  that  his  shoes  were  ragged, 
his  whole  appearance  denoting  that  he  had  trav- 
eled far,  and  was  weary  and  ill. 

"What  do  you  make  of  this,  Ned?"  asked  Tom, 
in  a  low  voice. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it.  He  can't 
be  an  officer,  in  that  rig,  and  he  has  no  one  with 
him.  I  guess  we  haven't  anything  to  be  afraid 
ef .  I'm  going  to  ask  him  what  he  wants. " 

Which  Tom  did  in  his  plainest  English.  At 
once  the  man  broke  into  a  stream  of  confused 
Russian,  and  he  kept  it  up  until  Tom  held  up  his 
hand  for  silence. 

"I'm  sorry,  but  I  can't  understand  you,"  said 
the  young  inventor.  "I'll  call  some  one  who  can, 
though,"  and,  raising  his  voice,  he  summoned  Ivan 


165        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Petrofsky  who,  with  Mr.  Damon,  was  inside  the 
airship  doing  some  small  repairs. 

"There's  a  Russian  out  here,  Mr.  Petrofsky," 
said  Tom,  "and  what  he  wants  I  can't  make  out." 

The  exile  was  quickly  on  the  scene  and,  after  a 
first  glance  at  the  man,  hurried  up  to  him,  grasped 
him  by  the  hand  and  at  once  the  two  were  talking 
such  a  torrent  of  hard-sounding  words  that  Tom 
and  Ned  looked  at  each  other  helplessly,  while  Mr. 
Damon,  who  had  come  out,  exclaimed: 

"Bless  my  dictionary!  they  must  know  eacH 
other." 

For  several  minutes  the  two  Russians  kept  up 
their  rapid-fire  talk  and  then  Mr.  Petrofsky, 
evidently  realizing  that  his  friends  must  wonder 
at  it,  turned  to  them  and  said : 

"This  is  a  very  strange  thing.  This  man  is  an 
escaped  convict,  as  I  once  was.  I  recognized  him 
by  certain  signs  as  soon  as  I  saw  him,  though  I 
had  never  met  him  before.  There  are  certain 
marks  by  which  a  Siberian  exile  can  never  be  for- 
gotten," he  added  significantly.  "He  made  his 
escape  from  the  mines  some  time  ago,  and  has 
suffered  great  hardships  since.  The  revolution- 
ists help  him  when  they  can,  but  he  has  to  keep 
in  concealment  and  travels  from  town  to  town  as 
best  he  may.  He  has  heard  of  our  airship,  I  sup- 
pose from  inquiries  the  revolutionists  have  been 


THE  RESCUE  169 

making  in  our  behalf,  and  when  he  unexpectedly 
came  upon  us  just  now  he  was  not  frightened,  as 
an  ordinary  peasant  would  have  been.  But  he 
did  not  know  I  was  aboard." 

"And  does  he  know  you?"  asked  Tom.  "Does 
he  know  you  are  trying  to  rescue  your  brother?" 

"No,  but  I  will  tell  him." 

There  was  another  exchange  of  the  Russian 
language,  and  it  seemed  to  have  a  surprising  re- 
sult. For,  no  sooner  had  Ivan  Petrofsky  men- 
tioned his  brother,  than  the  other,  whose  name 
was  Alexis  Borious,  seemed  greatly  excited.  Mr. 
Petrofsky  was  equally  so  at  the  reply  his  new 
acquaintance  made,  and  fairly  shouted  to  Tom, 
Ned  and  Mr.  Damon. 

"Friends,  I  have  unexpected  good  news!  It  is 
well  that  we  met  this  man  or  we  would  have  gone 
many  miles  out  of  our  way.  My  brother  has  been 
moved  to  another  mine  since  the  revolutionists 
located  him  for  me.  He  is  in  a  lonely  district 
many  miles  from  here.  This  man  was  in  the  same 
mine  with  him,  until  my  brother  was  transferred, 
and  then  Mr.  Borious  escaped.  We  will  have  to 
change  our  plans." 

"And  where  are  we  to  head  for  now?"  asked 
Tom. 

"Near  to  the  town  of  Haskaski,  where  my  poor 
brother  is  working  in  a  sulphur  mine!" 


170        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Then  let's  get  a  move  on!"  cried  Tom  witH 
enthusiasm.  "Do  you  think  this  man  will  come 
with  us,  Mr.  Petrof  sky,  to  help  in  the  rescue,  and 
show  us  the  place?" 

"He  says  he  will,"  translated  the  exile,  "though 
he  is  much  afraid  of  our  strange  craft.  Still  he 
knows  that  to  trust  himself  to  it  is  better  than 
being  captured,  and  sent  back  to  the  mines  to 
starve  to  death!" 

"Good !"  cried  Tom.  "And  if  he  wants  to,  and 
all  goes  well,  we'll  take  him  out  of  Russia  with 
us.  Now  get  busy,  Ned,  and  we'll  have  this 
machine  in  shape  again  soon." 

While  Ivan  Petrofsky  took  his  new  friend  in- 
side, and  explained  to  him  about  the  workings  of 
the  Falcon,  Tom  and  Ned  labored  over  the  gas 
machine  with  such  good  effect  that  by  night  it  was 
capable  of  being  used.  Then  they  went  aloft, 
and  making  a  change  in  their  route,  as  suggested 
by  Mr.  Borious,  they  headed  for  the  desolate 
sulphur  region. 

For  several  days  they  sailed  on,  and  gradually 
a  plan  of  rescue  was  worked  out.  According  to 
the  information  of  the  newcomer,  the  best  way 
to  save  Mr.  Petrof  sky's  brother  was  to  make  the 
attempt  when  the  prisoners  were  marched  back 
from  the  mines  to  the  barracks  where  they  were 
confined. 


THE  RESCUE  171 

"It  will  be  dark  then,"  said  Mr.  Borious,  "and 
if  you  can  hover  in  your  airship  near  at  hand,  and 
if  Mr.  Petrofsky  can  call  out  to  his  brother  to 
run  to  him,  we  can  take  him  up  with  us  and  get 
away  before  the  guards  know  what  we  are  doing." 

"But  aren't  the  prisoners  chained?"  asked  Tom. 

"No,  they  depend  on  guards  to  prevent  es- 
capes." 

"Then  we'll  try  that  way,"  decided  the  young 
inventor. 

On  and  on  they  sailed,  the  Falcon  working 
admirably.  Verst  after  verst  was  covered,  and 
finally,  one  morning,  Mr.  Borious,  who  knew  the 
country  well,  from  having  once  been  a  prisoner 
there,  said: 

"We  are  now  near  the  place.  If  we  go  any 
closer  we  may  be  observed.  We  had  better  re- 
main hidden  in  some  grove  of  trees  so  that  at 
nightfall  we  can  go  forth  to  the  rescue." 

"But  how  can  we  find  it  after  dark?"  asked 
Ned. 

"You  can  easily  tell  by  the  lights  in  the  bar- 
racks," was  the  answer.  "I  can  stand  in  the  pilot 
house  to  direct  you,  for  nearly  all  these  exile 
prisons  are  alike.  The  prisoners  will  march  in  a 
long  line  from  the  mine.  Then  for  the  rescue." 

It  was  tedious  waiting  that  day,  but  it  had  to 
be  done,  and  to  Tom,  who  was  anxious  to  effect 


172        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

the  rescue,  and  proceed  to  the  place  of  the  winds 
to  try  his  air  glider,  it  seemed  as  if  dusk  would 
never  come  as  they  remained  in  concealment. 

But  night  finally  approached  and  then  the  great 
airship  went  silently  aloft,  ready  to  hover  over  the 
prison  ground.  Fortunately  there  was  little  wind, 
and  she  could  be  used  as  a  balloon,  thus  avoid- 
ing the  noise  of  the  motor. 

"The  next  thing  I  do,  when  I  get  home,"  re* 
marked  Tom,  as  they  drifted  along,  "Will  be 
to  make  a  silent  airship.  I  think  they  would  be 
very  useful." 

With  Mr.  Borious  in  the  pilot  house,  to  point 
out  the  way,  Tom  steered  through  the  fast-gather- 
ing darkness.  The  Russian  had  soon  become 
used  to  the  airship,  and  was  not  at  all  afraid. 

"Can  you  go  just  where  you  want  to,  as  a 
balloon?"  asked  the  new  guide. 

"No,  but  almost,"  replied  Tom.  "At  the  last 
moment  I've  got  to  take  a  chance  and  start  the 
motor  to  send  us  just  where  we  want  to  go.  That's 
why  I  think  a  silent  airship  would  be  a  great  thing. 
You  could  get  up  on  the  enemy  before  he  knew 
it" 

"There  are  the  prison  barracks,"  said  the  guide 
a  little  later,  his  talk  being  translated  by  Mr. 
Petrofsky.  Below  and  a  little  ahead  of  them 
could  been  seen  a  cluster  of  lights. 


THE  RESCUE  173 

"Yes,  that  looks  like  a  line  of  prisoners,"  re- 
marked Ned,  who  was  peering  through  a  pair  of 
night  glasses. 

"Where?"  asked  Tom  eagerly,  and  they  were 
pointed  out  to  him.  He  took  an  observation,  and 
exclaimed : 

"There  they  are,  sure  enough.  Now  if  your 
brother  is  only  among  them,  Mr.  Petrofsky,  we'll 
soon  have  him  on  board." 

"Heaven  grant  that  he  may  be  there!"  said  the 
exile  in  a  low  voice. 

A  moment  later,  the  Falcon,  meanwhile  having 
been  allowed  to  drift  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
dimly-seen  line  of  prisoners,  Tom  set  in  motion 
the  great  motor,  the  propeller  blades  beating  the 
air  fiercely. 

At  the  sound  there  was  a  shout  on  the  ground 
below,  but  before  the  excitement  had  time  to 
spread,  or  before  any  of  the  guards  could  form  a 
notion  of  what  was  about  to  take  place,  Tom  had 
sent  his  craft  to  earth- on  a  sharp  slant,  closer  to 
the  line  of  prisoners  than  he  had  dared  to  hope. 

Mr.  Petrofsky  sprang  out  on  deck,  and  in  a 
loud  voice  called  in  Russian: 

"Peter!  Peter!  If  you  are  there,  come  here! 
Come  quickly!  It  is  I,  your  brother  Ivan  who 
speaks.  I  have  come  to  save  you — sa\e  you  in 
the  wonderful  airship  of  Tom  Swift!  Come 


174        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

quickly  and  we  will  take  you  away !  Peter  Petrof- 
sky!" 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence,  and  then  the 
sound  of  some  one  running  rapidly  was  borne  to 
the  ears  of  the  waiting  ones.  It  was  followed,  a 
moment  later,  by  angry  shouts  from  the  guards. 

"Quick!  Quick,  Peter!"  cried  the  brother, 
"over  this  way!" 

For  an  instant  only  the  exile  showed  a  single 
electric  flash  light,  that  his  brother  might  see  in 
which  direction  to  run.  The  echo  of  the  ap- 
proaching footsteps  came  nearer,  the  shouts  of 
the  guards  redoubled,  and  then  came  the  sound  of 
many  men  running  in  pursuit. 

"Hurry,  Peter,  hurry!"  cried  Mr.  Petrofsky, 
and,  as  he  spoke  in  Russiany:he  guards,  of  course, 
understood. 

Suddenly  a  rifle  shot  rang  out,  but  the  weapon 
seemed  to  have  been  fired  in  the  air.  A  moment 
later  a  dark  figure  clambored  aboard  the  airship. 

"Peter,  is  it  you?"  cried  Ivan  Petrofsky, 
hoarsely. 

"Yes,  brother!  But  get  away  quickly  or  the 
whole  guard  will  be  swarming  about  here!" 

"Praise  the  dear  Lord  you  are  saved!" 

"Is  it  all  right?"  cried  Tom,  who  wanted  to 
make  sure  they  were  saving  the  right  man. 

"Yes!    Yes,  Tom!     Go  quickly!"  called  Ivan 


THE  RESCUE  175 

Petrofsky,  as  he  folded  his  brother  in  his  arms. 
A  moment  later,  with  a  roar,  the  Falcon  shot 
away  from  the  earth,  while  below  sounded  angry 
cries,  confused  shouts  and  many  orders,  for  the 
guards  and  their  officers  had  never  known  of  such 
a  daring  rescue  as  this. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN  THE  HURRICANE 

THERE  was  a  volley  of  shots  from  the  prison 
guards,  and  the  flashes  of  the  rifles  cut  bright 
slivers  of  flame  in  the  darkness,  but,  so  rapidly 
did  the  airship  go  up,  veering  off  on  a  wide  slant, 
under  the  skillful  guidance  of  Tom  that  the  shots 
did  no  harm. 

"Bless  my  bullet  pouch!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"They  must  be  quite  excited." 

"Shouldn't  wonder,"  calmly  observed  Ned,  as 
he  went  to  help  his  chum  in  managing  the  air- 
ship. "But  it  won't  do  them  any  good.  W&ve 
got  our  man." 

"And  right  from  under  their  noses,  too,"  added 
Ivan  Petrofsky  exultingly.  "This  rescue  of  an 
txile  will  go  down  in  the  history  of  Russia." 

The  two  exile  brothers  were  gazing  fondly  at 
each  other,  for  now  that  the  Falcon  was  so  high, 
Tom  ventured  to  turn  on  the  lights. 

A  moment  later  the  three  Russians  were  ex- 
citedly conversing,  while  Tom  and  Ned  managed 

176 


IN  THE  PIURRICANE  177 

the  craft,  and  Mr.  Damon,  after  listening  a 
moment  to  the  rapid  flow  of  the  strange  language, 
which  quite  fascinated  him,  hurried  to  the  galley 
to  prepare  a  meal  for  the  rescued  one,  who  had 
been  taken  away  before  he  had  had  a  chance  to 
get  his  supper. 

His  wonder  at  his  startling  and  unexpected 
rescue  may  well  be  imagined,  but  the  joy  at  be- 
ing reunited  to  his  brother  overshadowed  every- 
thing for  the  time  being.  But  when  he  had  a 
chance  to  look  about,  and  see  what  a  strange  craft 
-he  was  in,  his  amazement  knew  no  bounds,  and  he 
was  like  a  child.  He  asked  countless  questions, 
and  Ivan  Petrofsky  and  Mr.  Borious  took  turnft 
in  answering  them.  And  from  now  on,  I  shall 
give  the  conversation  of  the  two  new  Rus- 
sians just  as  if  they  spoke  English,  though  of 
course  it  had  to  be  translated  by  Ivan  Petrofsky, 
Peter's  brother. 

If  Peter  was  amazed  at  being  rescued  in  an 
airship,  his  wonder  grew  when  he  was  served 
with  a  well-cooked  meal,  while  high  in  the  air, 
and  while  flying  along  at  the  rate  of  fifty  miles 
an  hour.  He  could  not  talk  enough  about  it. 

By  degrees  the  story  of  how  Tom  and  his 
friends  had  started  for  Russia  was  told,  and  there, 
was  added  the  detail  of  how  Mr.  Borious  came 
to  be  picked  up. 


178        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"But  brother  Ivan,  you  did  not  come  all  that 
distance  to  rescue  me;  did  you?"  asked  Peter. 

"Yes,  partly,  and  partly  to  find  the  platinum 
mine." 

*  What  ?  The  lost  mine  that  you  and  I  stumbled 
upon  in  that  terrible  storm?" 

"That  is  the  one,  Peter." 

"Then,  Tom  Swift  may  as  well  return.  I  doubt 
if  we  can  even  locate  the  district  where  it  was, 
and  if  we  did  find  it,  the  winds  blow  so  that  even 
this  magnificant  ship  could  not  weather  the  gales." 

"I  guess  he  doesn't  understand  'about  my  air 
glider,"  said  Tom  with  a  smile,  when  this  was 
translated  to  him.  "I  wish  I  had  a  chance  to  put 
it  together,  and  show  him  how  it  works." 

"Oh,  it  will  work  all  right,"  replied  Ned,  who 
was  very  proud  of  his  friend's  inventive  ability. 

"Now,  what  is  the  next  thing  to  be  done?" 
asked  Tom,  a  little  later  that  evening,  when,  sup- 
per having  been  served,  they  were  sitting  in  the 
main  cabin,  talking  over  the  events  of  the  past 
few  days.  "I'd  like  to  get  on  the  track  of  that 
platinum  treasure." 

"And  we  will  do  all  in  our  power  to  aid  you." 
said  Ivan  Petrofsky.  "My  brother  and  I  owe 
much  to  you — in  fact  Peter  owes  you  his  life; 
do  you  not?"  and  he  turned  to  him. 

"I  do,"  was  the  firm  answer. 


IN  THE  HURRICANE  179 

"Oh,  nonsense!"  exclaimed  Tom,  who  did  not 
like  to  be  praised.  "I  didn't  do  much." 

"Much !  You  do  not  call  taking  me  away  from 
that  place — that  sulphur  mine — that  horrible  pris- 
on barrack  with  the  cruel  guards — you  do  not 
call  that  much?  My,  friend,"  spoke  the  Russian 
solemnly,  "no  one  on  earth  has  done  so  much 
for  me  as  you  have,  and  if  it  is  the  power  of  man 
to  show  you  where  that  lost  mine  is,  my  brother 
and  I  will  do  so!" 

"Agreed,"  spoke  Ivan  quietly. 

"Then  what  plans  shall  we  make?"  asked  Tom, 
after  a  little  more  talk.  "Are  we  to  go  about  in- 
discriminately, or  is  there  any  possible  way  of 
getting  on  the  trail?" 

"My  brother  and  I  will  try  and  decide  on  a 
(definite  route,"  spoke  Ivan  Petrofsky.  "It  is 
some  time  since  I  have  seen  him,  and  longer  since 
we  accidently  found  the  mine  together,  but  we 
will  consult  each  other,  and,  if  possible  make  some 
sort  of  a  map." 

This  was  done  the  next  day,  the  present  maps 
aboard  the  Falcon  being  consulted,  and  the 
brothers  comparing  notes.  They  began  to  lay  out 
a  stretch  of  country  in  which  it  was  most  likely 
the  lost  mine  lay.  It  took  several  days  to  do  this, 
for  sometimes  one  brother  would  forget  some 


l8o        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

• 

point,  and  again  the  other  would.     But  a?  last 
they  agreed  on  certain  facts. 

"This  is  the  nearest  we  can  come  to  it,"  said 
Ivan  Petrofsky  to  Tom.  "The  lost  platinum 
mine  lies  somewhere  between  the  city  of  lakutsk 
and  the  first  range  of  the  lablonnoi  mountains. 
Those  are  the  northern  and  southern  boundaries. 
As  for  the  western  one,  it  is  most  likely  the  Lena 
river,  and  the  eastern  one  the  Amaga  river.  So 
you  see  you  have  quite  a  large  stretch  of  country 
to  search,  Tom  Swift." 

"Yes,  I  should  say  I  had,"  agreed  the  young 
inventor.  But  I  have  had  harder  tasks.  Now 
that  I  know  where  to  head  for  I'll  get  there  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"And  what  will  you  do  when  you  arrive?" 
asked  Ned. 

"Fly  about  in  the  Falcon,  in  ever-widening 
circles,  starting  as  near  the  centre  of  that  area 
as  possible,"  replied  Tom.  "And  as  soon  as  I 
run  into  a  steady  hurricane  I'll  know  that  I'm  at 
the  place  of  the  big  winds,  and  I'll  get  out  my 
glider,  for  I'll  be  pretty  sure  to  be  near  the  place." 

"Bless  my  gas  meter!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
•'That's  the  talk!" 

Tom  put  his  plan  into  operation  at  once,  by 
heading  the  nose  of  his  craft  for  the  desolate 
region  mapped  out  by  the  Russian  brothers. 


IN  THE  HURRICANE  181 

The  days  that  followed  were  filled  with  weary 
searching.  It  was  like  the  time  when  they  had 
sought  for  the  plain  of  the  great  ruined  Temple 
in  Mexico,  that  they  might  locate  the  underground 
city  of  gold.  Only  in  this  case  they  had  no  such 
landmark  as  a  great  Aztec  ruin  to  guide  them. 

What  they  were  seeking  for  was  something 
unseen,  but  which  could  be  felt — a  mysterious 
wind — a  wind  that  might  be  encountered  any 
time,  and  which  might  send  the  Falcon  to  the 
earth  a  wreck. 

The  Russian  brothers,  staggering  about  in  the 
storm,  had  seen  the  mine  under  different  con- 
ditions from  what  it  would  be  viewed  now.  Then 
it  was  winter  in  Siberia.  Now  it  was  summer, 
though  it  was  not  very  warm. 

On  and  on  sailed  the  Falcon.  The  weather 
could  not  have  been  better,  but  for  once  Tom 
wanted  bad  weather.  He  wanted  a  blow — the 
harder  the  better — and  all  eyes  anxiously  watched 
the  anemometer,  or  wind  gage.  But  ever  it  re- 
volved lazily  about  in  the  gentle  breeze. 

"Oh,  for  a  hurricane!"  cried  Tom. 

He  got  his  wish  sooner  than  he  anticipated.  It 
was  about  two  days  after  this,  when  they  were 
going  about  in  a  great  circle,  about  two  hundred 
miles  from  the  imaginery  centre  of  the  district 
in  which  the  mine  lay,  that,  as  Mr.  Damon  wafi 


182        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

getting  dinner  a  dish  he  was  carrying  to  the  table 
was  suddenly  whisked  out  of  his  hand. 

"I  say,  what's  the  matter?"  he  cried.  "Bless 
my " 

But  he  had  no  time  to  say  more.  The  airship 
fairly  stood  on  end,  and  then,  turning  completely 
about,  was  rapidly  driven  in  the  opposite  direction,, 
though  her  propellers  were  working  rapidly. 

"What's  up?"  yelled  Ned. 

"We  are  capsizing!"  shouted  Ivan  Petrofsky, 
and  indeed  it  seemed  so,  for  the  airship  was  be- 
ing forced  over. 

"I  guess  we've  struck  what  we  want!"  cried 
Tom.  "We're  in  a  hurricane  all  right !  This  is 
the  place  of  the  big  wind!  Now  for  my  air 
glider,  if  I  can  get  the  airship  to  earth  without 
being  wrecked!  Ned,  lend  a  hand!  We've  got 
our  work  cut  out  for  us  now!" 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE  LOST  MINE 

FOR  several  moments  it  seemed  as  if  disaster 
would  overtake  the  little  band  of  platinum-hunt- 
ers. In  spite  of  all  that  Tom  and  Ned  could  do, 
the  Falcon  was  whipped  about  like  a  feather  in 
the  wind.  Sometimes  she  was  pointing  her  nose 
to  the  clouds,  and  again  earthward.  Again  she 
would  be  whirling  about  in  the  grip  of  the  hurri- 
cane, like  some  fantastic  dancer,  and  again  she 
would  roll  dangerously.  Had  she  turned  turtle  it 
probably  would  have  been  the  last  of  her  and  of 
all  on  board. 

"Yank  that  deflecting  lever  as  far  down  as  it 
will  go!"  yelled  Tom  to  his  chum. 

"I  am.    She  won't  go  any  farther." 

"All  right,  hold  her  so.  Mr.  Damon,  let  all 
the  gas  out  of  the  bag.  I  want  to  be  as  heavy  as 
possible,  and  get  to  earth  as  soon  as  we  can." 

"Bless  my  comb  and  brush!"  cried  the  odd 
man.  "I  don't  know  what's  going  to  become  of 


183 


Z84        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"You  will  know,  pretty  soon,  if  the  gas  isn'l 
let  out!"  retorted  Tom  grimly,  and  then  Mrc 
Damon  hastened  to  the  generator  compartment, 
and  opened  the  emergency  outlet. 

Finally,  by  crowding  on  all  the  possible  power, 
so  that  the  propellers  and  deflecting  rudders 
forced  the  craft  down,  Tom  was  able  to  get  out  of 
the  grip  of  the  hurricane,  and  landed  just  beyond 
the  zone  of  it  on  the  ground. 

"Whew!  That  was  a  narrow  squeak!"  cried 
Ned,  as  he  got  out.  "How'd  you  do  it,  Tom?" 

"I  hardly  know  myself.  But  it's  evident  that 
we're  on  the  right  spot  now." 

"But  the  wind  has  stopped  blowing,"  said  Mr. 
Damon.  "It  was  only  a  gust." 

"It  was  the  worst  kind  of  a  gust  I  ever  want 
to  see,"  declared  the  young  inventor.  "My  air 
glider  ought  to  work  to  perfection  in  that.  If 
you  think  the  wind  has  died  out,  Mr.  Damon, 
just  walk  in  that  direction,"  and  Tom  pointed  off 
to  the  left. 

"Bless  my  umbrella,  I  will,"  was  the  reply  and 
the  odd  man  started  off.  He  had  not  gone  far, 
before  he  was  seen  to  put  his  hand  to  his  cap. 
Still  he  kept  on. 

"He's  getting  into  the  blow-zone,"  said  Tom 
in  a  low  voice. 

The  next  moment  Mr.  Damon  was  seen  to  stag- 


THE  LOST  MINE  185 

ger  and  fall,  while  his  cap  was  whisked  from  his 
head,  and  sent  high  into  the  air,  almost  instantly 
disappearing  from  sight. 

"Some  wind  that,"  murmured  Ned,  in  rather 
awe-struck  tones. 

"That's  so,"  agreed  his  chum.  "But  we'd  bet- 
ter help  Mr.  Damon,"  for  that  gentleman  was 
slowly  crawling  back,  not  caring  to  trust  him- 
self on  his  feet,  for  the  wind  had  actually  carried 
him  down  by  its  force. 

"Bless  my  anemometer!"  he  gasped,  when  Tom 
and  Ned  had  given  him  a  hand  up.  "What 
happened?" 

"It  was  the  great  wind,"  explained  Tom.  "It 
blows  only  in  a  certain  zone,  like  a  draft  down 
a  chimney.  It  is  like  a  cyclone,  only  that  goes  in  a 
circle.  This  is  a  straight  wind,  but  the  path  of 
it  seems  to  be  as  sharply  marked  as  a  trail  through 
the  forest.  I  guess  we're  here  all  right.  Does 
this  location  look  familiar  to  you?"  he  asked  of 
the  Russian  brothers. 

"I  can't  say  that  it  does,"  answered  Ivan.  "But 
then  it  was  winter  when  we  were  here." 

"And,  another  thing,"  put  in  Peter.  "That 
wind  zone  is  quite  wide.  The  mine  may  be  in  the 
middle,  or  near  the  other  edge." 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Tom.  "We'll  soon  see 
what  we  can  do.  Come  on,  Ned,  let's  get  the 


186        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

air  glider  out  and  put  her  together.  She'll  have  a 
test  as  is  a  test,  now. " 

I  shall  not  describe  the  tedious  work  of  re-as- 
sembling Tom  Swift's  latest  invention  in  the  air 
craft  line — his  glider.  Sufficient  to  say  that  it 
was  taken  out  from  where  it  had  been  stored  in 
separate  pieces  on  board  the  Falcon,  and  put  to- 
gether on  the  plain  that  marked  the  beginning  of 
the  wind  zone. 

It  was  a  curious  fact  that  twenty  feet  away 
from  the  path  of  the  wind  scarcely  a  breeze  could 
be  felt,  while  to  advance  a  little  way  into  it  meant 
that  one  would  at  once  be  almost  carried  off  his 
feet. 

Tom  tested  the  speed  of  it  one  day  with  a 
special  anemometer,  and  found  that  only  a  few 
hundred  feet  inside  the  zone  the  wind  blew  near- 
ly one  hundred  miles  an  hour. 

"What  is  it  like  inside,  I  wonder?"  asked  Ned. 

"It  must  be  terrific,"  was  his  chum's  opinion. 

"Dare  you  risk  it,  Tom?" 

"Of  course.  The  harder  it  blows  the  better 
the  glider  works.  In  fact  I  can't  make  much 
speed  in  a  hundred-mile  wind  for  with  us  all  on 
board  the  craft  will  be  heavy,  and  you  must  re- 
member that  I  depend  on  the  wind  alone  to  give 
me  motion." 


THE  LOST  MINE  187 

"What  do  you  think  causes  the  wind  to  blow 
*o  peculiarly  here  Tom?"  went  on  Ned. 

"Oh,  it  must  be  caused  by  high  mountain  ranges 
on  either  side,  or  the  effects  of  heat  and  cold,  the 
air  being  evaporated  over  a  certain  area  because  of 
great  heat,  say  a  volcano,  or  something  like  that ; 
though  I  don't  know  that  they  have  volcanoes 
here.  That  creates  a  vacuum,  and  other  air  rushes 
in  to  fill  the  vacant  space.  That's  all  wind  is, 
anyhow,  air  rushing  in  to  fill  a  vacuum,  or  low 
pressure  zone,  for  you  remember  that  nature 
abhors  a  vacuum." 

It  took  nearly  a  week  to  assemble  the  Vulture, 
as  Tom  had  named  his  latest  craft,  from  the 
fact  that  it  could  hover  in  the  air  motionless,  like 
that  great  bird.  At  last  it  was  completed  and 
then,  weights  being  taken  aboard  to  steady  it, 
all  was  ready  for  the  test.  Tom  would  have  liked 
to  have  taken  all  his  passengers  in  the  glider,  for 
it  would  work  better  then,  but  the  three  Russians 
were  timid,  though  they  promised  to  get  aboard 
after  the  trial. 

The  test  came  off  early  one  morning,  Tom,  Ned 
and  Mr.  Damon  being  the  only  ones  aboard.  Bags 
of  sand  represented  the  others.  The  glider  was 
wheeled  to  the  edge  of  the  wind  zone  and  they 
took  their  places  in  the  car.  It  was  hard  work, 
for  the  gale,  that  had  never  ceased  blowing  for 


1 88        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

an  instant  since  they  found  its  zone,  was  verj 
strong.  But  the  glider  remained  motionless  in  it, 
for  the  wing  planes,  the  rudders,  and  equalizing 
weights  had  been  adjusted  to  make  the  strain  of 
the  wind  neutral. 

"All  ready?"  asked  Tom,  when  his  chum  and 
his  friend  were  in  the  enclosed  car  of  the  glider. 

"As  ready  as  I  ever  shall  be,"  answered  Ned. 

"Bless  my  suspenders!  Let  her  go,  Tom,  and 
have  it  over  with!"  cried  the  odd  man. 

The  young  inventor  pulled  a  lever,  and  almost 
instantly  the  glider  darted  forward.  A  moment 
later  it  soared  aloft,  and  the  three  Russians  cheered. 
But  their  voices  were  lost  in  the  roar  of  the 
hurricane,  as  Tom  sent  his  craft  higher  and 
higher. 

It  worked  perfectly,  and  he  could  direct  it 
almost  anywhere.  The  wind  acted  as  the  motive 
power,  the  bending  and  warping  wings,  and  the 
rudders  and  weights  controlling  its  force. 

"I'm  going  higher,  and  see  if  I  can  remain 
stationary!"  yelled  Tom  in  Ned's  ear.  His  chum 
only  nodded.  Mr.  Damon  was  seated  on  a  bench, 
clinging  to  the  sides  of  it  as  if  he  feared  he  would 
fall  off. 

Higher  and  higher  went  the  Vulture,  ever  high- 
er, until,  all  at  once,  Tom  pulled  on  another  lever 
and  she  was  still.  There  she  hung  in  the  air,  the 


THE  LOST  MINE  [89 

wind  rushing  through  her  planes,  but  the  glider     » 
herself -as-still  and  quiet  as  though  she  rested  on    / 
the  ground  in  a  calm.     She  hardly  moved  a  foot  ' 
in  either  direction,  and  yet  the  wind,  as  evidenced 
by  the  anemometer  was  howling  along  at  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  an  hour ! 

"Success!"  cried  Tom.  " Success!  Now  we 
can  lie  stationary  in  any  spot,  and  spy  out  the  land 
through  our  telescope.  Now  we  will  find  the  lost 
platinum  mine!" 

"Well,  I'm  not  deaf,"  responded  Ned  with  a 
smile,  for  Tom  had  fairly  yelled  as  he  had  at  the 
start,  and  there  was  no  need  of  this  now,  for 
though  the  wind  blew  harder  than  ever  it  was 
not  opposed  to  any  of  the  weights  or  planes,  and 
there  was  only  a  gentle  humming  sound  as  it 
rushed  through  the  open  spaces  of  the  queer  craft. 

Tom  gave  his  glider  other  and  more  severe 
tests,  and  she  answered  every  one.  Then  he  came 
to  earth. 

"Now  we'll  begin  the  search,"  he  said,  and  prep- 
arations were  made  to  that  end.  The  Russians, 
now  that  they  had  seen  how  well  the  craft  worked, 
were  not  afraid  to  trust  themselves  in  her 

As  I  have  explained,  there  was  an  enclosed 
car,  capable  of  holding  six.  In  this  were  stores, 
supplies  and  food  sufficient  for  several  days. 
Tom's  plan  was  to  leave  the  airship  anchored  on 


190 


TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 


the  edge  of  the  wind  zone,  as  a  sort  of  base  of 
supplies  or  headquarters.  From  there  he  intended 
to  go  off  from  time  to  time  in  the  wind-swept 
area  to  look  for  the  lost  mine. 

There  were  weary  days  that  followed.  Hour 
after  hour  was  spent  in  the  air  in  the  glider,  the 
whole  party  being  aboard.  Observation  after  ob- 
servation was  taken,  sometimes  a  certain  strata  of 
wind  enabling  them  to  get  close  enough  to  the 
earth  to  use  their  eyes,  while  again  they  had  to 
•use  the  telescopes.  They  covered  a  wide  section 
but  as  day  after  day  passed,  and  they  were  no 
nearer  their  goal,  even  Tom. optimistic  as  he 
usually  was,  began  to  have  a  tired  and  discouraged 
look. 

"Don't  you  see  anything  like  the  place  where 
you  found  the  mine?"  he  asked  of  the  exile 
brothers. 

They  could  only  shake  their  heads.  Indeed 
their  task  was  not  easy,  for  to  recognize  the 
place  again  was  difficult. 

More  than  a  week  passed.  They  had  been  back 
and  forth  to  their  base  of  supplies  at  the  airship, 
often  staying  away  over  night,  once  remaining 
alof  t  all  through  the  dark  hours  in  the  glider,  in  a 
nerce  gale  which  prevented  a  landing.  They  ate 
and  slept  on  board,  and  seldom  descended  unless 
at  or  near  the  place  where  they  had  left  the 


THE  LOST  MINE  191 

Falcon.  Once  they  completely  crossed  the  zone 
of  wind,  and  came  to  a  calm  place  on  the  other 
side.  It  was  as  wild  and  desolate  as  the  other 
edge. 

Nearly  two  weeks  had  passed,  and  Tom  was 
almost  ready  to  give  up  and  go  back  home.  He 
had  at  least  accomplished  part  of  his  desire,  to 
rescue  the  exile,  and  he  had  even  done  better  than 
originally  intended,  for  there  was  Mr.  Borioua 
who  had  also  been  saved,  and  it  was  the  intention 
of  the  young  inventor  to  take  him  to  the  United 
States. 

"But  the  platinum  treasure  has  me  beat,  I 
guess,"  said  Tom  grimly.  "We  can't  seem  to  get 
a  trace  of  it." 

Night  was  coming  on,  and  he  had  half  de« 
termined  to  head  back  for  the  airship.  Ivan  Pet» 
rofsky  was  peering  anxiously  down  at  the  deso- 
late land,  over  which  they  were  gliding.  He  and 
his  brother  took  turns  at  this. 

They  were  not  far  above  the  earth,  but  land- 
marks, such  as  had  to  be  depended  on  to  locate 
the  mine,  could  not  readily  be  observed  without 
the  glass.  Mr.  Damon,  with  a  pair  of  ordinary 
field  glasses,  was  doing  all  he  could  to  pick  out 
likely  spots,  though  it  was  doubtful  if  he  would 
know  the  place  if  he  saw  it. 

However,  as  chance  willed  it,  he  was  instru* 


192        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

mental  in  bringing  the  quest  to  a  close,  and  most 
unexpectedly.  Peter  Petrofsky  was  relieving  his 
brother  at  the  telescope,  when  the  odd  man,  who 
had  not  taken  his  eyes  from  the  field  glasses,  sud- 
dely  uttered  an  exclamation. 

"Bless  my  tooth-brush!"  he  cried.  "That's  a 
most  desolate  place  down  there.  A  lot  of  trees 
blown  down  around  a  lake  that  looks  as  black  as 
ink." 

"What's  that !"  cried  Ivan  Petrofsky.  "A  lake 
as  black  as  ink?  Where?" 

"We  just  passed  it!"  replied  Mr.  Damon. 

"Then  put  back  there,  as  soon  as  you  can, 
Tom!"  called  the  Russian.  "I  want  to  look  at 
that  place." 

With  a  long,  graceful  sweep  the  young  inventor 
sent  the  glider  back  over  the  course.  Ivan  Pet- 
rofsky glued  his  eyes  to  the  telescope.  He  picked 
out  the  spot  Mr.  Damon  had  referred  to,  and  a 
moment  later  cried: 

"That's  it !  That's  near  the  lost  platinum  mine ! 
We've  found  it  again,  Tom — everybody!  Don't 
you  remember,  Peter,"  he  said  turning  to  his 
brother,  "when  we  were  lost  in  the  snow  we 
crawled  in  among  a  tangle  of  trees  to  get  out  of 
the  blast.  There  was  a  sheet  of  white  snow  near 
them,  and  you  broke  through  into  water.  I 
pulled  you  out.  That  must  have  been  a  lake, 


THE  LOST  MINE 


193 


though  it  was  lightly  frozen  over  then.  I  believe 
this  is  the  lost  mine.  Go  down,  Tom !  Go  down !" 
"I  certainly  will!"  cried  the  youth,  and  pulling! 
on  the  descending"  lever  he  shunted  the  glider  to 
earth. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE  LEAKING  TANKS 

LIKE  a  bird  descending  from  some  dizzy 
height,  the  Vulture  landed  close  to  the  pool  of 
black  water,  It  was  a  small  lake  and  the  darkness 
must  have  been  caused  by  its  depth,  for  later 
when  they  took  some  out  in  a  glass  it  was  as 
clear  as  a  crystal.  Then,  too,  there  might  have 
been  black  rocks  on  the  bottom. 

"Can  it  be  possible  that  we  are  here  at  last?" 
cried  Tom,  above  the  noise  of  the  gale,  for  the 
wind  was  blowing  at  a  terrific  rate.  But  our 
friends  knew  better  now  how  to  adjust  them- 
selves to  it,  and  the  lake  was  down  in  a  valley, 
the  sides  of  which  cut  off  the  power  of  the  gale. 
As  for  the  glider  it  was  only  necessary  to  equal- 
ize the  balance  and  it  would  remain  stationary  in 
any  wind. 

"This  is  the  place!  This  is  the  place!'3  cried 
Ivan  Petrofsky.  "Don't  you  remember,  Peter?'2 

"Indeed  I  do!  I  have  good  cause  to!  This  ii 
where  we  found  the  platinum!" 

194 


THE  LEAKING  TANKS 


195 


"Bless  my  soul!"  cried  Mr.  Damon.  "Where 
is  it,  in  the  lake?" 

"The  mine  itself  is  just  beyond  that  barrier  ot 
broken  and  twisted  trees,"  replied  the  elder  Rus- 
sian brother.  "It  is  an  irregular  opening  in  the 
ground,  as  though  once,  centuries  ago,  an  ancient 
people  tried  to  get  out  the  precious  metal.  We 
will  go  to  it  at  once." 

"But  it  is  getting  late,"  objected  Ned. 

"No  matter,"  said  Tom.  "If  we  find  any  plat- 
inum we'll  stay  here  all  night,  and  longer  if  nec- 
essary to  get  a  good  supply.  This  is  better  than 
the  city  of  gold,  for  we're  in  the  open." 

"I  should  say  we  were,"  observed  Mr.  Damon, 
as  he  bent  to  the  blast,  which  was  strong,  sheltered 
even  as  they  were. 

"Will  it  be  safe  to  remain  all  night?"  asked 
Mr.  Borious,  with  a  glance  about  the  desolate 
country. 

"We  have  plenty  of  food,"  replied  Tom,  "and 
a  good  place  to  stay,  in  the  car  of  the  glider.  I 
don't  believe  we'll  be  attacked." 

"No,  not  here,"  said  the  elder  Petrofsky.  "But 
we  still  have  to  go  back  across  Siberia  to  escape." 

"We'll  do  it!"  cried  Tom.  "Now  for  the  plat- 
inum treasure!" 

They  went  forward,  and  it  was  no  easy  work. 
For  the  wind  still  blew  with  tremendous  force 


196        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

though  nothing  like  what  it  did  higher  up.  And 
the  ground  was  uneven.  They  had  to  cling  to 
each  other  and  it  was  very  evident  that  no  air- 
ship, not  even  the  powerful  Falcon,  could  have 
reached  the  place.  Only  an  air  glider  would 
answer. 

It  took  them  half  an  hour  to  get  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  ancient  mine,  and  by  that  time  it  was 
nearly  dark.  But  Tom  had  thought  to  bring 
electric  torches,  such  as  he  had  used  in  the  under- 
ground city  of  gold,  and  they  dispelled  the  gloom 
of  the  small  cavern. 

"Will  you  go  in?"  asked  Ivan  Petrofsky,  when 
they  had  come  to  the  place.  He  looked  at  Tom. 

"Go  in?  Of  course  I'll  go  in!"  cried  our  hero, 
stepping  forward.  The  others  followed.  For 
some  time  they  went  on,  and  saw  no  traces  of 
the  precious  metal.  Then  Ned  uttered  a  cry,  as 
he  saw  some  dull,  grayish  particles  imbedded  in 
the  earth  walls  of  the  shaft. 

"Look!"  he  cried. 

Tom  was  at  his  chum's  side  in  a  moment. 

"That's  platinum!"  cried  the  young  inventor. 
'''And  of  the  very  higest  grade!  But  the  lumps 
are  very  small." 

"There  are  larger  ones  beyond,"  said  the  young^ 
er  Russian  brother. 

Forward  they  pressed,  and  a  moment  later, 


THE  LEAKING  TANKS  197 

coming  around  a  turn  in  the  cavern  where  some 
earth  had  fallen  away,  evidently  recently,  Tom 
could  not  repress  a  cry  of  joy.  For  there,  in 
plain  sight,  were  many  large  lumps  of  the  valu- 
able metal,  in  as  pure  a  state  as  it  is  ever  found. 
For  it  is  always  mixed  with  other  metals  or  chem- 
icals. 

"Look  at  that!"  cried  Tom.  "Look  at  that! 
Lumps  as  large  as  an  egg!"  and  he  dug  some  out 
with  a  small  pick  he  had  brought  along,  and 
stuffed  them  into  his  pocket. 

"Bless  my  check  book!"  cried  Mr.  Damon, 
"and  that  stuff  is  as  valuable  as  gold!" 

"More  so!"  cried  Tom  enthusiastically. 

"Oh,  here's  a  whopping  big  one!"  cried  Ned. 
I'll  bet  it  weighs  ten  pounds." 

"More  than  that!"  cried  Tom,  as  he  ran  over 
and  began  digging  it  out,  and  they  found  later 
that  it  did.  Platinum  is  usually  found  in  small 
granules,  but  there  are  records  of  chunks  being 
found  weighing  twenty  pounds  while  others,  the 
size  of  pigeons'  eggs,  are  not  uncommon. 

"Say,  this  is  great!"  yelled  Ned,  discovering 
another  large  piece,  and  digging  it  out. 

"I  am  glad  we  could  lead  you  to  it,"  said  the 
elder  Russian  brother.  "It  is  a  small  return  for 
what  you  did  for  us!" 

"Nonsense!"  cried  Tom.     "These  must  be  a 


I98        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

king's  ransom  here.     Everbody  dig  it  out!    Get 
all  you  can." 

They  were  all  busy,  but  the  light  of  the  two 
torches  Tom  had  brought  was  not  sufficient  for 
good  and  efficient  work,  so,  after  getting  several 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  the  precious  metal, 
they  decided  to  postpone  operations  until  morn- 
ing, and  come  with  more  lights. 

They  were  at  the  work  soon  after  breakfast, 
the  night  in  the  air  glider  having  passed  without 
incident.  The  treasure  of  platinum  proved  even 
richer  than  the  Russians  had  thought,  and  it  was 
no  wonder  the  Imperial  government  had  tried  so 
hard  to  locate  it,  or  get  on  the  trail  of  those  who 
sought  it. 

"And  it's  all  good  stuff!"  cried  Tom  eagerly. 
"Not  like  that  low-grade  gold  of  the  underground 
city.  I  can  make  my  own  terms  when  I  sell  this." 

For  three  days  our  friends  dug  and  dug  in 
that  platinum  mine,  so  many  years  lost  to  man, 
and  when  they  got  ready  to  leave  they  had  indeed 
a  king's  ransom  with  them.  But  it  was  to  be 
equally  divided.  Tom  insisted  on  this,  as  his  Rus- 
sian friends  had  been  instrumental  in  finding  it. 
Toward  the  end  of  the  excavation  large  pieces 
were  scarce,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  mine 
was  what  is  called  a  "lode." 

"Well,  shall  we  go  back  now?"  asked  Tom 


THE  LEAKING  TANKS  199 

one  day,  after  the  finish  of  their  mining  opera- 
tions. The  work  was  comparatively  simple,  as 
the  platinum  lumps  had  merely  to  be  dug  out 
of  the  sides  of  the  cave.  But  the  loneliness  and 
dreariness  of  the  place  was  telling  on  them  all. 

"Can't  we  carry  any  more?"  asked  Ned. 

"We  could,  but  it  might  not  be  safe.  I  don't 
want  to  take  on  too  much  weight,  as  my  glider 
isn't  as  stable  as  the  airship.  But  we  have  plenty 
of  the  metal. 

"Indeed  we  have,"  agreed  Ivan  Petrofsky. 
"Much  of  mine  and  my  brother's  will  go  toward 
helping  relieve  the  sufferings  of  the  Siberian  ex- 
iles," he  added. 

"And  mine,  too,"  said  Alexis  Borious. 

They  started  back  early  the  next  morning  in  a 
more  terrific  gale  than  in  any  the  glider  had  yet 
flown.  But  she  proved  herself  a  stanch  craft, 
and  soon  they  were  at  the  place  where  they  had 
left  the  airship.  It  was  undisturbed. 

Four  days  were  spent  in  taking  apart  the  glider 
and  packing  it  on  board  the  Falcon.  Then,  with 
the  platinum  safely  stored  away  Tom,  with  a  last 
look  at  the  desolate  land  that  had  been  so  kind 
to  them,  sent  his  craft  on  her  homeward  way. 

It  was  when  they  were  near  the  city  of  Pirt- 
china,  on  the  Obi  river,  that  what  might  have 
proved  a  disastrous  accident  occurred.  They  were 


200        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

flying  along  high,  and  at  great  speed,  for  Tom 
wanted  to  make  all  the  distance  he  could,  to  get 
out  of  Siberia  the  more  quickly.  They  had  had 
a  fair  passage  so  far,  and  were  congratulating 
themselves  that  they  would  soon  be  in  civilization 
again. 

Suddenly,  Mr.  Damon,  who  had  been  on  the 
after  deck,  taking  observations  through  a  tele- 
scope, came  running  forward,  crying  out: 

"Tom!  Tom!  What  is  that  water  dripping 
from  the  back  part  of  the  airship?" 

"Water?"  exclaimed  Tom.  "No  water  is  drip- 
ping from  there." 

"Come  and  look,"  advised  Mr.  Damon. 

The  young  inventor  raced  back  with  him.  He 
saw  a  thin,  white  stream  trickling  down  from  the 
lower  part  of  the  craft.  Tom  sniffed  the  air  sus- 
piciously. 

"Gasolene!  It's  gasolene!"  he  cried.  "We 
must  have  a  leak  in  the  supply  tanks!" 

He  dashed  toward  the  reserve  storeroom,  and 
at  that  moment,  with  a  suddenness  that  was  start- 
ling, the  motor  stopped  and  the  Falcon  lurched 
toward  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

HOMEWARD    BOUND CONCLUSION 

"ALL  right!"  yelled  Ned,  as  soon  as  he  heard 
Tom's  cry.  "I've  got  her  under  control.  We'll 
volplane  down." 

"Is  it  dangerous?  Are  we  in  danger?"  asked 
Peter  Patrofsky  of  his  brother^  in  Russian. 

"I  guess  there's  no  danger,  where  Tom  Swift 
is  concerned,"  was  the  answer.  "I  have  not  vol- 
planed much,  but  it  will  be  all  right  I  think." 

And  it  was,  for  with  Ned  Newton  to  guide  the 
craft,  while  Tom  did  his  best  to  stop  the  leak,  the 
craft  came  gently  to  earth  on  the  outskirts  of  a 
fairly  large  Siberian  city.  Almost  instantly  the 
Falcon  was  surrounded  by  a  curious  throng. 

"You  had  better  keep  inside,"  said  Ivan  Pet- 
rofsky  to  his  brother  and  Mr.  Borious.  "Des- 
criptions of  you  are  probably  out  broadcast  by 
now,  but  I  am  still  sufficiently  disguised,  I  think." 

"But  what  is  to  be  done  ?"  demanded  the  young- 
er Russian  brother.  "If  the  gasolene  is  gone,  how 
can  we  leave  here?" 

201 


202        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"Trust  Tom  Swift  for  that,"  was  the  reply. 
"Keep  out  of  sight  now,  there  is  a  large  crowd 
outside." 

Tom  came  from  the  tank  room.  There  was  a 
despondent  look  on  his  face. 

"It's  all  gone— every  drop,"  he  said.  "That's 
what  made  the  motor  stop." 

"What's  gone?"  asked  Mr.  Damon. 

"The  gasolene.  We  sprung  a  leak  in  the  main 
tank,  somehow,  and  it  all  flowed  out  while  we 
were  flying  along." 

"Haven't  you  any  more?" 

"Not  a  bit.  I  was  drawing  on  the  reserve  tank, 
hoping  to  get  to  civilization  before  I  needed  more. 
But  its  too  late  now.  We  will  have  to " 

"Bless  my  snow  shoes!"  cried  Mr.  Damon. 
"Don't  say  we'll  have  to  stay  here — in  Siberia! 
Don't  say  that.  My  wife " 

"No,  we  won't  have  to  stay  here  if  we  can  get 
a  supply  of  kerosene,"  interrupted  Tom.  "The 
motor  will  burn  that.  The  only  trouble  is  that  we 
may  be  detained.  The  authorities  probably  know 
us  by  this  time,  and  are  on  the  watch." 

"Then  get  it  before  they  know  we  are  here," 
advised  Ned. 

"I'll  try,"  said  Tom,  and  he  at  once  conferred 
with  the  elder  Petrofsky.  The  latter  said  he  was 
sure  kerosene  could  be  had  in  town,  and,  rather 


HOMEWARD   BOUND— CONCLUSION       203 

than  risk  going  in  themselves,  they  hired  a  wag- 
oner who  agreed,  for  liberal  pay,  to  go  and  re- 
turn with  a  quantity.  Until  then  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  wait. 

Meanwhile  the  crowd  of  curiosity  seekers  grew. 
They  thronged  around  the  airship,  some  of  them 
meddling  with  various  devices,  until  Tom  had  to 
order  them  away  with  gestures. 

One  particularly  inquisitive  man  insisted  on 
pulling  or  twisting  everything,  until  he  happened 
to  touch  a  couple  of  live  wires,  giving  himself 
quite  a  shock,  and  then  he  ran  away  howling. 
But  still  the  crowd  increased,  and  at  last  Mr.  Pet- 
rofsky  said: 

"I  don't  like  this,  Tom?" 

"Why  not?"  They  were  all  inside  the  craft, 
looking  out  and  waiting  for  the  return  of  the 
man  with  the  kerosene.  The  leak  in  the  tank  had 
proved  to  be  a  small  one,  and  had  quickly  been 
soldered.  It  had  been  open  a  long  time,  which 
accounted  for  the  large  amount  of  gasolene  es- 
caping. "What  don't  you  like,  Mr.  Petrofsky?" 
t  "So  many  men  surrounding  us.  I  believe  some 
of  them  are  officers  dressed  in  civilians'  clothes, 
and  a  Russian  officer  never  does  that  unless  he 
has  some  object." 

"And  you  think  the  object  is ?" 

"To  capture  us." 


204        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

"If  it  was  that,  wouldn't  they  have  done  it 
long  ago — when  we  first  came  down?" 

"No,  they  are  evidently  waiting  for  something^ 
perhaps   for  some  high  official,   without  whose 
orders  they  dare  do  nothing.     Russia  is  overrun 
with  officialdom." 

And  a  little  later  Ivan  Petrofsky's  suspicion 
proved  true.  There  arrived  a  man  in  uniform, 
who  spoke  fairly  good  English,  and  who  politely 
asked  Tom  if  he  would  not  delay  the  start  of  the 
airship,  again,  until  the  governor  could  arrive 
from  his  country  place  to  see  it. 

"We  know  you  are  going  to  leave  us,"  said  the 
Russian  with  a  smile,  "for  you  have  sent  for 
kerosene.  But  please  wait." 

"If  your  governor  comes  soon  we'll  wait,"  re- 
plied Tom.  "But  we  are  in  a  hurry.  I  wish 
that  kerosene  fellow  would  get  a  move  on,"  he 
murmured. 

"Oh,  he  will  doubtless  be  here  soon,"  said  the 
officer.  "Might  I  be  permitted  to  come  aboard 
and  wait  for  my  chief?" 

"Sorry,  but  it's  not  allowed,"  replied  our  hero, 
straining  his  eyes  down  the  road  for  a  sight  of 
the  wagoner.  At  last  he  came,  and  Tom 
breathed  easier. 

But  the  crowd  was  bigger,  and  some  of  the 
men,  though  poorly  dressed,  seemed  to  be  per- 


HOMEWARD   BOUND— CONCLUSION       205 

sons  in  authority.  Tom  had  no  doubt  but  what 
there  was  a  plot  afoot  to  detain  him,  and  arrest 
the  exiles,  and  that  there  were  disguised  soldiers 
in  the  throng.  But  they  could  not  act  without 
the  governor's  orders,  and  he  was  probably  on 
his  way  with  all  haste. 

"Lively  now,  get  that  kerosene  in  the  tanks!" 
cried  Tom  to  the  man,  motioning  in  lieu  of  using 
Russian.  The  youth  was  not  going  to  meet  the 
governor  if  he  could  help  it. 

Now  it  was  a  curious  thing,  but  the  more  that 
wagoner  and  his  helpers  seemed  to  try  to  hurry, 
and  pour  the  oil  from  the  cans  into  the  tank-open- 
ing of  the  airship,  the  slower  they  worked.  They 
got  in  each  others'  way,  dropped  some  cans,  spilled 
others,  and  in  general  made  such  poor  work  at  it 
that  Tom  saw  there  was  something  in  the  wind. 

"Ned!"  he  exclaimed,  "they're  doing  all  they 
can  to  detain  us.  We've  got  to  put  that  oil  in  our- 
selves. Just  as  we  did  the  gasolene  in  France. 
It's  the  same  sort  of  a  delay  game." 

"Right,  Tom!    I'm  with  you." 

"And  I'll  warn  the  crowd  back,  by  telling  them 
we  are  likely  to  blow  up  any  minute!"  added 
Ivan  Petrofsky,  which  warning  he  shouted  in 
Prussian  a  moment  later. 

Backward  leaped  the  throng,  as  though  a  bomb 
had  been  thrown  into  their  midst,  even  the  sup- 


206        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

posed  officers  joining  in  the  retreat.  Tne  oil 
wagon  was  now  easy  of  access,  and  Tom  and  Ned, 
with  Mr.  Damon  to  aid  them,  hastened  toward  it. 
Then  the  work  of  rilling  the  tanks  went  on  in 
something  like  good  old,  United  States  fashion. 

The  last  gallon  of  kerosene  had  been  put  aboard, 
and  Tom  and  Ned  with  Mr.  Damon,  had  climbed 
on  deck,  when  the  gaily  uniformed  officer,  who 
had  requested  the  delay,  came  riding  up  furiously. 

"Hold!  Hold!  If  you  please!  "he  cried.  "The 
governor  has  come.  He  wants  to  see  you." 

"Too  late!"  answered  Tom.  "Give  him  our 
best  regards  and  ask  him  to  some  to  the  United 
States  if  he  wants  to  see  us.  Sorry  we  haven't 
cards  handy.  Ned,  take  the  pilot  house,  and 
shoot  her  up  sharp  when  you  get  the  signal.  I'm 
going  to  run  the  motor.  I  don't  know  just  how 
she'll  behave  on  the  kerosene." 

"You  must  remain!"  angrily  cried  the  officer. 

"The  United  States  doesn't  take  'must'  from 
anybody,  from  the  Czar  down!"  cried  Tom  as  he 
disappeared  into  the  motor  room.  The  window 
was  open,  and  the  youth  turned  on  the  power  the 
official  cried  again  to  him: 

"Halt!    Here  comes  the  governor!    I  declare 
you  arrested  by  his  orders,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
Czar!" 

"Nothing  doing!"  yelled  Tom,  and  then,  look- 


HOMEWARD   BOUND— CONCLUSION       207 

ing  from  the  window,  he  saw  approaching  a 
troop  of  Cossacks,  in  the  midst  of  whom  rode  a 
man  in  a  brilliant  uniform — evidently  the 
governor. 

"Stop!     Stop!"  cried  the  official. 

"Here  we  go,  Ned!"  yelled  Tom,  and  turning 
oti  more  power  the  Falcon  arose  swiftly,  before 
the  very  eyes  of  the  angry  governor,  and  his 
staff  of  Cossack  soldiers. 

Up  and  up  she  went,  faster  and  faster,  the  mo- 
tors working  well  on  the  kerosene.  Higher  and 
higher.  The  governor  and  his  soldiers  were  di- 
rectly below  her  now. 

"Stopl  Stop!  You  must  stop.  The  Imperial 
governor  orders  it!"  yelled  the  officer,  evidently 
his  Excellency's  aide-de-camp. 

"We  can't  hear  you!"  shouted  Tom,  waving 
his  hand  from  the  motor  room  window,  and  then, 
turning  on  still  more  power  he  flew  over  the  city, 
taking  his  friends  and  the  valuable  supply  of 
platinum  with  him.  So  surprised  were  the 
soldiers  that  they  did  not  fire  a  shot,  but  had  they 
done  so  it  is  doubtful  if  much  damage  could  have 
been  done. 

"And  now  for  home!"  cried  Tom,  and  home- 
ward bound  the  Falcon  was  after  a  perilous  trip 
through  two  storms.  But  she  weathered  them 
well. 


2o8        TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

In  due  season  they  reached  Paris  again,  and 
now,  having  no  reason  for  concealment,  they 
flew  boldly  down,  to  change  what  remained  of  the 
kerosene  for  gasolene,  as  the  motor  worked  better 
on  that.  The  secret  police  learned  that  the  exiles 
were  aboard,  but  they  could  do  nothing,  as  the 
offenses  were  political  ones,  and  so  Tom  kept 
his  friends  safe. 

Then  they  started  on  the  long  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic,  and  though  they  had  one  bad  ex- 
perience in  a  storm  over  that  mighty  ocean,  they 
got  safely  home  to  Shopton  in  due  season. 

There  is  little  more  to  tell.  The  platinum 
proved  to  be  even  more  valuable  than  Tom  had 
expected.  He  could  have  sold  it  all  for  a  large 
sum,  but  he  preferred  to  keep  most  of  what  he 
had  for  his  inventive  work,  and  he  used  consider- 
able of  it  in  his  machinery.  Ned  disposed  of  his, 
selling  Tom  some  at  a  lower  price  than  market 
quotations,  and  the  Russians  got  a  good  price  for 
theirs,  turning  the  money  into  the  fund  to  help 
their  fellow  exiles.  Mr.  Damon  also  made  a  good 
donation  to  the  cause,  as  did  Tom  and  Ned. 

Mr.  Petrofsky  and  his  brother,  with  the  other 
exile,  joined  friends  in  New  York,  and  promised 
to  come  and  see  Tom  when  they  could. 

"Well,  I  suppose  you'll  take  a  long  vacation 
now,"  said  Mary  Nestor,  to  Tom,  when  he  called 


HOMEWARD   BOUND— CONCLUSION       209 

on  her  one  evening  to  present  her  a  unique  ring, 
with  the  stones  set  in  some  of  the  platinum  he 
had  dug  in  the  Siberian  mine. 

"Vacation?  I  have  no  time  for  vacations  !"\ 
said  the  young  inventor.  "I'm  soon  going  to 
work  on  my  silent  airship,  and  on  some  othet 
things  I  have  in  mind.  I  want  more  adventures." 

"Oh,  you  greedy  boy!"  exclaimed  Mary  with  a 
laugh. 

And  what  adventures  Tom  had  next  will  be 
found  in  the  next  book  of  this  series,  which  will 
be  entitled,  "Tom  Swift  in  Captivity;  Or,  a  Dar- 
ing Escape  by  Airship." 

Tom  had  several  offers  to  give  exhibitions  in 
his  air  glider,  from  aviation  committees  at  vari- 
ous meets,  but  he  declined. 

"I  haven't  time,"  he  declared.    "I'm  too  busy." 

"You  ought  to  rest,"  his  chum  Ned  advised 
him. 

"  'Bless  my  alarm  clock !'  as  Mr.  Damon  would 
say,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "The  best  rest  is  new 
work,"  and  then  he  began  sketching  his  ideas  for 
a  silent  motor  craft,  during  which  we  will  take 
leave  of  him  for  a  while. 

THE  END 


This  Isn't  All! 


Would  you  like  to  know  what 
became  of  the  good  friends  you 
have  made  in  this  book? 

Would  you  like  to  read  other 
stories  continuing  their  adventures 
and  experiences,  or  other  books 
quite  as  entertaining  by  the  same 
author  ? 

On  the  reverse  side  of  the  wrap- 
per which  comes  with  this  book, 
you  will  find  a  wonderful  list  of 
stories  which  you  can  buy  at  the 
same  store  where  you  got  this  book. 

Don't  throw  away  the  Wrapper 

Use  it  as  a  handy  catalog  of  the  books 
you  want  some  day  to  have.  *But  in 
case  you  do  mislay  it,  write  to  the 
^Publishers  for  a  oompkte  catalog. 


THE  TOM  SWIFT  SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

Uniform   Style    of   Binding.      Individual    Colored   Wrappers. 
^ Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Every  boy  possesses  some  form  of  inventive  genius. 
Tom  Swift  is  a  bright,  ingenious  boy  and  his  invention? 
and  adventures  make  the  most  interesting  kind  of  reading 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  CYCLE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRSHIP 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SUBMARINE  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RUNABOUT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIRELESS  MESSAGE 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  DIAMOND  MAKERS 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CAVES  OF  ICE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  RACER 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RIFLE 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLD 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  CAPTIVITY 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIZARD  CAMERA 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  SEARCHLIGHT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GIANT  CANNON 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  PHOTO  TELEPHONE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AERIAL  WARSHIP 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  BIG  TUNNEL 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  LAND  OF  WONDERS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WAR  TANK 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  SCOUT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  UNDERSEA  SEARCH 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  FIRE  FIGHTERS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  LOCOMOTIVE 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  FLYING  BOAT 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  OIL  GUSHER 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  CHEST  OF  SECRETS 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRLINE  EXPRESS 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,          PUBLISHERS,          NEW  YORK 


THE  DON  STURDY  SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

Individual  Colored  Wrappers  and  Text  Illustrations  by 

WALTER  S.  ROGERS 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

In  company  with  his  uncles,  one  a  mighty  hunter  and 
the  other  a  noted  scientist,  Don  Sturdy  travels  far  and 
wide,  gaining  much  useful  knowledge  and  meeting  many 
thrilling  adventures. 

DON  STURDY  ON  THE  DESERT  OF 
MYSTERY; 

An  engrossing  tale  of  the  Sahara  Desert,  of  encounters  with 
wild  animals  and  crafty  Arabs. 

DON  STURDY  WITH  THE  BIG  SNAKE 
HUNTERS; 

Don's  uncle,  the  hunter,  took  an  order  for  some  of  the  biggest 
snakes  to  be  found  in  South  America — to  be  delivered  alive! 

DON  STURDY  IN  THE  TOMBS  OF  GOLD; 

A  fascinating  tale  of  exploration  and  adventure  in  the  Valley 
of  Kings  in  Egypt. 

DON  STURDY  ACROSS  THE  NORTH  POLE; 

A  great  polar  blizzard  nearly  wrecks  the  airship  of  the 
explorers. 

DON  STURDY  IN  THE  LAND  OF  VOLCANOES ; 

An  absorbing  tale  of  adventures  among  the  volcanoes  of 
Alaska. 

DON  STURDY  IN  THE  PORT  OF  LOST  SHIPS; 

This  story  is  just  full  of  exciting  and  fearful  experiences  on 
the  sea. 

DON  STURDY  AMONG  THE  GORILLAS; 

A  thrilling  story  of  adventure  in  darkest  Africa.     Don  is 
carried  over  a  mighty  waterfall  into  the  heart  of  gorilla  land. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


THE  RADIO  BOYS  SERIES 

(Trademark  Registered) 

By  ALLEN  CHAPMAN 
Author  of  the  "Railroad  Series,"  Etc. 

Individual  Colored  Wrappers.     Illustrated. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

A  new  series  for  boys  giving  full  details  of  radio  work, 
both  in  sending  and  receiving — telling  how  small  and 
large  amateur  sets  can  be  made  and  operated,  and  how 
Borne  boys  got  a  lot  of  fun  and  adventure  out  of  what  they 
•did.  Each  volume  from  first  to  last  is  so  thoroughly  fas- 
cinating, so  strictly  up-to-date  and  accurate,  we  feel  sure 
all  lads  will  peruse  them  with  great  delight. 

Each  volume  has  a  Foreword  by  Jack  Binns,  the  well- 
known  radio  expert. 

THE  RADIO  BOYS'  FIRST  WIRELESS 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  AT  OCEAN  POINT 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  AT  THE  SENDING 

STATION 

THE  RADIO  BOYS  AT  MOUNTAIN  PASS 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  TRAILING  A  VOICE 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  WITH  THE  FOREST 

RANGERS 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  WITH  THE  ICEBERG 

PATROL 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  WITH  THE  FLOOD 

FIGHTERS 

THE  RADIO  BOYS  ON  SIGNAL  ISLAND 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  IN  GOLD  VALLEY 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


THE  RAILROAD  SERIES 

By  ALLEN  CHAPMAN 
Author  of  the  "Radio  Boys,"  Etc. 

Uniform  Style  of  Binding.     Illustrated. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

In  this;  line  of  books  there  is  revealed  the  whole  workings 
of  a  great  American  railroad  system.  There  are  adventures 
in  abundance — railroad  wrecks,  dashes  through  forest  fires, 
the  pursuit  of  a  "wildcat"  locomotive,  the  disappearance  ot 
a  pay  car  with  a  large  sum  of  money  on  board — but  there 
is  much  more  than  this — the  intense  rivalry  among  railroads 
and  railroad  men,  the  working  out  of  running  schedules, 
the  getting  through  "on  time"  in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  and 
the  manipulation  of  railroad  securities  by  evil  men  who 
wish  to  rule  or  ruin. 

RALPH  OF  THE  ROUND  HOUSE; 
Or,  Bound  to  Become  a  Railroad  Man. 

RALPH  IN  THE  SWITCH  TOWER; 
Or,  Clearing  the  Track. 

RALPH  ON  THE  ENGINE; 

Or,  The  Young  Fireman  of  the  Limited  Mail. 

RALPH  ON  THE  OVERLAND  EXPRESS; 

Or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  a  Young  Engineer. 

RALPH,  THE  TRAIN  DISPATCHER; 
Or,  the  Mystery  of  the  Pay  Car. 

RALPH  ON  THE  ARMY  TRAIN; 

Or,  The  Young  Railroader's  Most  Daring  Exploit. 

RALPH  ON  THE  MIDNIGHT  FLYER; 
Or,  The  Wreck  at  Shadow  Valley. 

RALPH  AND  THE  MISSING  MAIL  POUCH; 
Or,  The  Stolen  Government  Bonds. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


THE  RIDDLE  CLUB   BOOKS 

By  ALICE  DALE  HARDY 

Individual  Colored  Wrapper*.     Attractively  Illustrated. 
Every   Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Here  is  as  ingenious  a  series  of  books  for  little  folks  as 
has  ever  appeared  since  "  Alice  in  Wonderland."  The  idea 
of  the  Riddle  books  is  a  little  group  of  children — three  girls 
and  three  boys  decide  to  form  a  riddle  club.  Each  book  is 
full  of  the  adventures  and  doings  of  these  six  youngsters, 
but  as  an  added  attraction  each  book  is  filled  with  a  lot  of 
the  best  riddles  you  ever  heard. 

THE  RIDDLE  CLUB  AT  HOME 

An  absorbing  tale  that  all  boys  and  girls  will  enjoy  reading. 
How  the  members  of  the  club  fixed  up  aclubroom  in  the  Larue 
barn,  and  how  they,  later  on,  helped  solve  a  most  mysterious 
happening,  and  how  one  of  the  members  won  a  valuable  prize, 
is  told  in  a  manner  to  please  every  young  reader. 

THE  RIDDLE  CLUB  IN  CAMP 

The  club  members  went  into  camp  on  the  edge  of  a  beautiful 
lake.  Here  they  had  rousing  good  times  swimming,  boating 
and  around  the  campfire.  They  fell  in  with  a  mysterious  old  man 
known  as  The  Hermit  of  Triangle  Island.  Nobody  knew  his 
real  name  or  where  he  came  from  until  the  propounding  of  a 
riddle  solved  these  perplexing  questions. 

THE  RIDDLE  CLUB  THROUGH  THE 

HOLIDAYS 

This  volume  takes  in  a  great  number  of  winter  sports,  includ- 
ing skating  and  sledding  and  the  building  of  a  huge  snowman. 
It  also  gives  the  particulars  of  how  the  club  treasurer  lost  the 
dues  entrusted  to  his  care  and  what  the  melting  of  the  great 
snowman  revealed. 

THE  RIDDLE  CLUB  AT  SUNRISE  BEACH 

This  volume  tells  how  the  club  journeyed  to  the  seashore  and 
how  they  not  only  kept  up  their  riddles  but  likewise  had  good 
times  on  the  sand  and  on  the  water.  Once  they  got  lost  in  a  fog 
and  are  marooned  on  an  island.  Here  they  made  a  discovery 
that  greatly  pleased  the  folks  at  home. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  BOOKS 

For  Little  Men  and  Women 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 
Author  of  "The  Bunny  Brown  Series,"  Etc. 

Durably    Bound.       Illustrated.       Uniform    Style    of    Binding, 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

These  books  for  boys  and  girls  between  the  ages  of  three 
and  ten  stands  among  children  and  their  parents  of  this 
generation  where  the  books  of  Louisa  May  Alcott  stood  in 
former  days.  The  haps  and  mishaps  of  this  inimitable  pair 
of  twins,  their  many  adventures  and  experiences  are  a 
source  of  keen  delight  to  imaginative  children  everywhere* 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  IN  THE  COUNTRY 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  THE  SEASHORE 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  SCHOOL 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  SNOW  LODGE 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  ON  A  HOUSEBOAT 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  MEADOW  BROOK 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  HOME 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  IN  A  GREAT  CITY 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  ON  BLUEBERRY  ISLAND 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  ON  THE  DEEP  BLUE  SEA 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  IN  THE  GREAT  WEST 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  CEDAR  CAMP 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  THE  COUNTY  FAIR 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  CAMPING  OUT 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AND  BABY  MAY 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  KEEPING  HOUSE 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  CLOVERBANK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,          PUBLISHERS,          NEW  YORK. 


THE   BUNNY    BROWN   SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  the    Popular  "  Bobbsey  Twins"  Books,  Etff 

Durably  Sound.     Illustrated.     Uniform  Style  of  Binding/ 
Every  Vo&orae  Complete  in  Itself. 

These  stories  are  eagerly  -welcomed  by  the  little  folks 
from  about  five  to  tea  years  of  age.  Their  eyes  fairly  dance 
with  delight  at  the  lively  doiogs  of  inquisitive  little  Btinny 
Brown  and  his  ctKimsg,  trustful  sister  Sue. 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTSR  SUB 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  ON  GRAOTPA'S 

FARM 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  PLAYING  CSRCU3 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  AT  GAMP-REST- 

A-WHILE 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  AT  AUNT  LITS 

CITY  HOMB 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND   HIS   SISTER   SUE  IN  THE  BIG 

WOODS 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  ON  AN  AUTO 

TOUR 
BUNNY   BROWN   AND   HIS    SISTER    SUE   AND  THEIR 

SHETLAND    POKY 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  GIVING  A  SHOW 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  AT  CHRISTMAS 

TREE  COVE 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  IN  THE  SUNNY 

SOUTH 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  KEEPING  STORB 
BUNNY    BROWN   AND    HIS   SISTER    SUE   AND  THEIR 

TRICK  DOG 
BUNNY    BROWN   AND  HIS  SJSTBR  SUE   AT  A  SUGAR 

CAMP 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  ON  THE  ROLL- 
ING OCEAN 
BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  ON  JACK  FROST 

ISLAND 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  jPzc&^s^er®,  NEW  YORK 


SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  The  Bobbsey  Twins  Books,  The  Bunny 
Brown  Series,  The  Blythe  Girls  Books,  Etc. 

Durably   Bound.       Illustrated.       Uniform    Style    of   Binding* 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Delightful  stories  for  little  boys  and  girls  which  sprung 
into  immediate  popularity.  To  know  the  six  little  Bunkers 
is  to  take  them  at  once  to  your  heart,  they  are  so  intensely 
human,  so  full  of  fun  and  cute  sayings.  Each  story  has  a 
little  plot  of  its  own — one  that  can  be  easily  followed — and 
all  are  written  in  Miss  Hope's  most  entertaining  manner. 
Clean,  wholesome  volumes  which  ought  to  be  on  the  book* 
shelf  of  every  child  in  the  land. 

SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  GRANDMA  BELL'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  AUNT  JO'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  COUSIN  TOM'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  GRANDPA  FORD'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  UNCLE  FRED'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  CAPTAIN  BEN'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  COWBOY  JACK'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  MAMMY  JUNE'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  FARMER  JOEL'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  MILLER  NED'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  INDIAN  JOHN'S 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,          NEW  YORK 


Football  and  Baseball  Stories 

Durably  Bound.      Illustrated.      Colored  Wrappers. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

The  Ralph  Henry  Barbour  Books  for  Boys 

In  these  up-to-the-minute,  spirited  genuine  stories  of 
boy  life  there  is  something  which  will  appeal  to  every  boy 
with  the  love  of  manliness,  cleanness  and  sportsmanship 
in  his  heart. 

LEFT  END  EDWARDS 

LEFT  TACKLE  THAYER 

LEFT  GUARD  GILBERT 

CENTER  RUSH  ROWLAND 

FULLBACK  FOSTER 

LEFT  HALF  HARMON 

RIGHT  END  EMERSON 

RIGHT  GUARD  GRANT 

QUARTERBACK  BATES 

RIGHT  TACKLE  TODD 

RIGHT  HALF  HOLLINS 

The   Christy   Mathewson    Books   for    Boys 

Every  boy  wants  to  know  how  to  play  ball  in  the  fairest 
and  squarest  way.  These  books  about  boys  and  baseball 
are  full  of  wholesome  and  manly  interest  and  information. 

PITCHER  POLLOCK 
CATCHER  CRAIG 
FIRST  BASE  FAULKNER 
SECOND  BASE  SLOAN 
PITCHING  IN  A  PINCH 


THIRD  BASE  THATCHER,  By  Everett  Scott 
GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


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